Battle of the Bands
by midnight-heart
Summary: They both have bands, are the lead vocals & they both hate each other,...or do they? Sam has a band, Nightshades,& Danny is band leader of Phantoms both struggled to make it to the top & win a contest that has a record deal! Who'll win? Boys? or Girls? DS
1. Chapter 1

I unfortunately don't own Danny Phantom or the songs Like It or Leave It and Ordinary Day!

1st chapter of Battle of the Bands! Enjoy!

_Italic- Sam's lyrics_

**Bold- Ray's lyrics**

_**Italic/Bold- Ray & Sam's lyrics**_

* * *

A young adolescent, sat afar from the large cliques that formed large herds of sheep together. Sitting on an empty table, that had it's own personal shade provided by a rather large oak tree. She was a mere twelve or thirteen years, having glossy raven hair that fell to her shoulders, unique violet orbs, pale skin, and a normal built hidden by large amounts of dark clothes she wore. Her name seemed quite unique as her appearance, Samantha 'Sam' Manson.

She read a book ignoring everyone who dared glance or spoke to her. But she didn't read just any book, but one of the most famous published books by the hand of Edgar Allan Poe. His dark literature fascinated her, though because of this she is always seen differently-but she doesn't really care! She's rather proud of being different from everyone else, like a black sheep.

,"Look at the new girl!" A Latin accent from Paulina Santos, persuaded the girl's eyes to look above her book to see a similarly pale girl with black locks that fell a few inches past her rather flat bosom, and odd black-blue eyes that were deep like a catalyst. She held a guitar case in her hand, while her left shoulder held a medium-size backpack, "I heard, she transferred here from a private school!" "I heard rumors that she has an IQ up to 215, probably more!" "I heard she transferred here because she was causing problems at her other school!"

The some-what dark girl walked through the outdoor area, and walked into the auditorium. This intrigued her! No one ever went to the school auditorium, unless it was of special announcements or graduations; everyone said the spirit of a fifty-year-old ghost haunts the auditorium, as she was an actress/student to this school.

Placing her book in her book bag, she walked into the auditorium, closing the door gently. She heard the stringed notes of the piano, as she entered the auditorium-she walked to the source of it's origin as the 'new girl' elegantly moving her fingers against the ivory keys. Sam marveled at the girl's mastery of the musical instrument, her fingers moving rhythmically to the keys, her eyes closed showed her years of skill, and slowly her voice spoke- no! -sang as angels in the church.

Walking a bit nearer, Sam accidentally made a box filled with play props fall! THUD! Both girls were startled, and then looked at each other- the girl at the piano was about to run...

,"Wait!...I would like to hear it, again!" Sam's words rolled off her tongue, and now she regretted ever opening her mouth-especially to the new girl trying to cope with all the new.

,"W-what do you mean?" She finally spoke shyly, hiding half of her face with her bundle of locks, showing barely her pale cheek and one blue eye.

,"Would you play it again?...the piano..." Sam saw how the girl's shyness slipped away as she pushed her large curtain of hair behind her ear.

,"I only play the piano because my father wants me to, I rather prefer playing my guitar, but...alright." She sat on the bench, and played the piano keys again flawless, she allowed Sam to come close as she heard her angelic voice again. Her voice started quiet, and then gently rose, "Just a day. Just an ordinary day. Just trying to get by. Just a boy, Just an ordinary boy. But he was looking to the sky. And as he asked if I would come along, I started to realize. That everyday he finds, Just what he's looking for, Like a shooting star he shines..." The piano keys stopped. Silence

,"I'm sorry, I'm not that good at singing..." She lowered her eyes from Sam's; "I have a very bad singing voice in my family since I was five."

,"No! Don't say that!" Sam looked at the introverted girl, "You really have a beautiful voice...Can I hear as you play your guitar?" Her eyes widen, as she nodded slowly. She grabbed her guitar and strummed a nice melody, and began to sing as she place a sheet of paper between them," You say you don't know me. You say you don't owe me. You say that you won't be happy waiting..."

Sam followed the lyrics onto the sheet and the girl's singing,"...You think that you're worth it. You think you deserve it. You want it all right now, your way..." They started in good harmony, and they ended that way. ,"What's your name?"

,"Shadows. Raven Shadows, you can call me Ray." The blue-eyed girl smiled.

* * *

,"I want to become a singer/ songwriter, or maybe join a band..." Raven secretly admitted her greatest desires to her newfound friend, "Ever since I can pick up and play an instrument- I always enjoyed singing!"

,"Honestly, so did I! I loved singing, but was never really opened for it- instead reading books and listening to others sing was my thing." Sam looked at Raven, who was now smiling brightly through he shyness," I wanted to be in a band, too. Hey, do you want to be in my band?"

,"You have a band?!" Raven blinked in shocked and astonishment, remembering to hide her guitar bag underneath the lunch table.

,"Well, no. But once, I'm in high school or college- I'll have an amazingly, great band! And I want you in it!" Raven smiled at her request and nodded. Sticking out her right pinky...

,"That's a promise!" Sam stated, sticking her own right pinky out to intertwine with Ray's pinky. Both smiling and said together, "Pinky Swear..."

* * *

,"C'mon Sam! We're gonna be late for our gig, this afternoon!" A certain blue-eyed yelled with a guitar on her back. Her dark hair brushed down to her hips, with a long blue dyed strand of hair that fell down past her left eye, and a curvy, muscular figure.

Ever since they met in middle school, Sam and Ray have been friends ever since that day. Sam and Ray created the ultimate girl band consisting; Valerie, an African-American girl, that Sam met in her freshmen year at Casper High, who can really play the keyboard than any other boy; Angela, a tan-skinned Mexican, she is Ray's little cousin, who can play the drums better than any girl or boy.

,"I'm comin'!" A pale yet curvy female quickly brushed her ebony hair with her right hand and brushed her teeth with her left hand. She threw the hairbrush as soon as she was done, and dropped her toothbrush in a cup and quickly pit and gargled, then running as fast as she could.

The blue-eyed finally couldn't stand being so patient. She sighed, as she looked at Valerie and Angela in the van, clearly bored of waiting, "Sam, I'm lea-"

,"-Let's go, already! We're gonna be late!" The ebony-haired girl came dashing with a guitar at hand, towards the van.

,"We're already seventeen! And you're still late as ever! Feels like middle school again!" Ray ran to the driver's seat and started the car and fast and furiously drove.

* * *

,"This is gonna be our final song for tonight!...It's called Like It or Leave It" Sam spoke through a microphone, looking through the small crowd around the small islands of tables.

(Sam)-_You say you don't know me. You say you don't owe me. You say that you won't be happy waiting._

(Ray)- **You think that you're worth it. You think you deserve it. You want it all right now, your way.**

MID-CHORUS (Ray)- **Together we're one**

(Sam)- _(that is my finish line)_

(Ray)- **Together we're one**

(Sam)- _(why don't you realize)_

(Ray)-**Together we're one**

(Sam)- _(I know that everything's gonna be fine, together_)

(Ray)- **Together we're one**

CHORUS (Together)-_**One in a million. Don't be afraid. Don't say you've got plenty on the way. It's gonna be brilliant. Like it or leave it I can't help but feel like. I'm one, one in a million. I'm worth all the crap that I'm putting you through. I'll be blunt, the honest truth is. Like it or love it or LEAVE IT!**_

(Ray)- **You decide, you decide. Don't waste my time.**

(Sam)- _Sit back and unwind now. It's gonna be fine now._

(Ray)- **You can't justify your impatience.**

(Together)- _**Mid-Chorus... Chorus**_

BRIDGE (Sam)- _What was that line in that one movie? When he looked at her like it would last forever_

(Together)- _**Said to her face that he'd do whatever it took to be her boy.**_

_**But above all what he wanted most. Credits roll. Curtains close. Then you whispered in my ear. Together we're one in a million. (Don't be afraid). Together we're one in a million (Don't be afraid)...Together we're one**_

CHORUS (Together)- _**One in a million. Don't be afraid. Don't say you've got plenty on the way. It's gonna be brilliant. Like it or leave it I can't help but feel like. I'm one, one in a million. I'm worth all the crap that I'm putting you through. I'll be blunt, the honest truth is. Like it or love it or LEAVE IT!**_

(Ray)- **You decide, you decide. Don't waste my time. You decide, you decide...Leave it...**

A roar of applause came out of nowhere as the song ended. Sam smiled as she breathed heavily," The Nightshades! Thank you! Have a good night!"

* * *

I know! The date was off, but you wouldn't believe my crazy schedule! Sorry, that it's late! Please review!

Ordinary Day- Vanessa Carlton

Like It or Leave It- Aly & AJ


	2. Chapter 2: The Boys!

Sorry, dudes! I don't own the song Shadow of the Day!!

* * *

A delinquent boy, stood in front of his classroom's door, staring at the empty hallways. He twirled a drumstick in his left hand- it twirled from his index finger, then his ring finger, and his middle finger and continued to do so in a different pattern. _'Why am I in trouble, again? I didn't do shit! I just wanted to have a little fun!'_ He was actually in trouble for creating a _'ruckus'_ as his teacher says.

His electric blue eyes were slightly hidden by his messy mop of jet-black hair, his flawless peach pigmentation and a strong built even for his age of thirteen- could make just about everyone think he was not human, but then again not a god either. Though he had such an appearance, he was still considered as Daniel 'Danny' Fenton.

He was absorbed in his thoughts; he didn't notice a girl in front of him. He finally snapped out of his thoughts, and finally sees the girl. She had a gloomy demeanor consisting of an ebony ocean of hair, a pale complexion as similar as marble, and very odd but beautiful violet eyes. He took two steps to the side, to allow her to enter through- he couldn't help but notice, she wore such large and dark clothes instead of tiny, bright clothes that most girls in his school wore.

As she disappeared into the room, he couldn't stop thinking of his _'mistake'_. All he did was play a little music to entertain everyone- especially entertain with his childhood friend, Tucker, who really knows how to play the drums and the keyboard. All they needed was about two more people, since Tucker can't play the drums and the keyboard at the same time. He also needed to be a better songwriter- he seriously sucked at writing songs- he could barely write the correct answers on his homework!

There were some songwriters in the school, but most of them steal the songs and place the lyrics as their own work- there were only _two_ true songwriters in the entire student body, but kept their idenities as silent as their musical talents. He even heard a rumor that there was even a new student that really knows how to write great songs but it was hard to find them since there were already twelve new students in his classes- and it would be too time consuming to get to know all of them!

The sound of an electric guitar interrupted his quarreling thoughts. He was actually glad that the music notes disturbed his stressful train of thought- he walked down the empty hall with lockers to his right and left. He followed the guitar notes, that began echoing in his mind, that eventually lead him to a boy, with hair darker and messier than himself. The difference between the boy and himself, was that the boy was very pale, and once he lifted his lids- he had occupied dark sapphire eyes that looked as cold as a snow storm.

BANG! BANG! The cymbals of the drums rang in his ears, as he saw another boy on the drums! He had dark brown hair that covered his closed eyes, as he played a random drum solo. He raised his head, and eyelids to reveal two shining silvery-gray orbs.

An idea formed in his cranium, which he rarely used, he leaned against the door hedged, since the door was entirely open. Hearing both boys playing two different patterns, and yet kept a perfect harmony in creating a beat without knowing. Both boys diverted their eyes to the 'intruder' but didn't pay attention and continued playing their instruments, not minding the pair of eyes on both boys. Suddenly the voice of a female came into his ears, as he moved is eyes to a girl hiding behind her dark locks, which in fell past her chest. He noted that both the electric guitarist and the female singer looked quite similar.

He couldn't really understood what she was singing _'Probably Portuguese, or Italian. Who knows? Maybe German…'_ He only knew was that she could sing a very diverse-able singing ranges of soft and gentle to a whistling note. What surprised him the most was that the drummer and the guitarist began to sing along with her! He was interested in all three of them- all for three different reasons.

The music ended, making him return back to Earth, back to Amity Park, back to school. He glanced at the drummer, as he placed his drumsticks in his jean's hip pocket, and the guitarist place his guitar back in its case. He noticed the girl hiding her face, faintly spoke, "Bye."

He caught sight of her actual face as she grabbed her backpack, having dark sapphires and pale skin as the guitarist. He could have mistaken them as clones; as she walked by him he asked, "Name?

,"Excuse me?" Her dark hair once again hid her face.

,"What're their names? " He caught glance of the confused cold sapphires, "The guys who were playing the instruments, while you were singing."

,"I was not singing...but I do know their names." She turned her head towards the two boys, "The one guy that was on the guitar- his name is Raymond. And the other guy that was on the drums was Michael."

,"Thanks..." As the girl walked away, he heard her whisper 'No problem'.

,"You guys were awesome..." Both boys looked confused, at the other boy who still lingered in the music room, with his back against the doorframe.

The boy named Michael pushed his brown bangs out of his gray eyes with his hands. He placed his gray eyes on the _'intruder'_ from before, "What is it that you want?" He spoke with neither hostility nor hospitality.

,"I'm actually here to get a drummer and guitarist for my band..." Danny just went straight to the point- he was impatient as he was stubborn, but either characteristics would make just about anyone pull their hair out.

,"And you want us to be in it?" Michael looked at Raymond, who shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know. Me and Ray got our..._responsibilities_ to look out for..." He paused trying to find a word, and out popped responsibilities.

,"What kind of responsibilities?" The young Fenton raised a brow.

,"It's very personal if you don't mind!" Michael seemed to ignore the boy's annoying stubbornness, especially to join a band. A BAND!! He would understand if this guy was pestering him about money, but to join a band meant that he was really _desperate!_

,"Look if it's about money, the band will get paid at gigs!" Money? The magic word, that both boys desperately needed and for similar yet dissimilar reasons. Both boys looked at each other for a moment, and then glanced at the Fenton boy.

,"You got yourself a new drummer and guitarist..." Michael and Ray nodded their heads in agreement, making Danny smirked happily- his annoying stubbornness has made him victorious once again.

," The name's Danny Fenton...Welcome to the Phantoms!"

* * *

,"Danny! Get your ass down here! We're going to be late again!" A muscular, dark-skinned Tucker hollered at the top of his lungs, placing his keyboard in the trunk of the van. He had replaced his glasses with contacts, revealing his forest green eyes, and his black Afro hair was kept short, leaving his red beret in his back pocket- not wanting to discard it.

Danny and Tucker were friends since _'ever_', but both took in Michael and Raymond into their group- considering both boys than just musicians, but also friends, and even brothers. All four boys caught gigs and earned money, just as quick as a pro football player can catch.

,"Calm your ass down, Tuck!" Danny placed a muscle shirt over his six-pack; he quickly placed his socks and shoes on. 'Damn alarm! It didn't wake me up in time!' He placed on a T-shirt with a unique logo of the Phantoms, over his muscle shirt, and then brushed his teeth with his blue toothbrush. He glanced at his reflection, and ran his hand through his disorderly bed head, making it less messy. He threw his toothbrush in the bathroom sink, and rushed down stairs, grabbing his guitar on the way.

The dark-skinned male, glanced at the van to see Raymond and Michael playing _'Star Wars'_ with the drumsticks, in boredom, "Danny! Get your damn ass down already!"

,"Shut the hell up, Tuck!" The jet-black haired, baby blue-eyed Fenton ran to the van, with an already ill patiently annoyed Tucker following him. Both boys went in van, and quickly starting up the car, and driving so fast that the tires screeched.

,"Alright, everyone! This is our last song for tonight!" Danny smiled to himself, he actually got a gig at Starbucks, and a big one which meant big pay, "I'm glad to say this song was written by fellow bass player, Ray. It's called 'Shadow of the Day'."

Tucker and Raymond began to play...

,"_...I close both locks below the window. I close both blinds and turn away...Sometimes solutions aren't so simple. Sometimes good bye's the only away..."_ He glanced at a girl, who instead of listening intently to the band decided to read or rather write in a book.

_,"(Chorus)-And the sun will set for you. The sun will set for you. And the shadow of the day. Will embrace the world in grey. And the sun will set for you..." _He glanced at the entire cafe, and was amazed it was a full house.

_,"And cards and flowers on your window. Your friends all plead for you to stay. Sometimes beginnings aren't so simple. Sometimes good bye's the only way...Chorus..."_ He glanced at the girl, again, to see her listen to a few lyrics of his song, and caught her features. She had dark hair that fell to her mid-back and...violet eyes?

The Fenton boy's fingers moved in a guitar solo, as Ray and Michael followed_, "And the shadow of the day. Will embrace the world in grey. And the sun will set for you... (guitar solo)...And the shadow of the day. Will embrace the world in grey...And the sun will set for you..." _As his song faded, so did the girl.

,"Thanks, everyone! Have a great night!" He spoke into the mike, as everyone exploded into applause, especially the college girls in the first row. But Danny couldn't stop thinking of that girl, she seemed so...familiar?

* * *

Second chapter of Battle of the Bands! I just couldn't get this song outta my head! Please review!

Shadow of the Day- Linkin Park

I unfortunately don't own Danny Phantom or the song by the famous Linkin Park, or the movie Star Wars!


	3. Chapter 3: Familiar

Sorry, dudes! I've been trying to work on this story and my many others! SORRRY!!!!!

* * *

,"C'mon Sam!" Ray looked at her vegetarian friend, as she sat on the black loveseat writing something in her black notebook, "Sam, we haven't had at least one break from our band gigs. We've been working every weekend and I still need to finish my ten page paper to Professor Nicholas that's due tomorrow!"

Ray has been trying to convince Sam to not have only one band gig this week. Since both need to finish a large amounts of assignments for their professors. Though, both girls are seventeen they manage to graduate earlier, the same goes for Valerie. Angela was still in high school but managed much better than her cousin and friends.

,"Alright! Only this Saturday night but that's all!" Sam finally caves in as she started to get annoyed by her best friend since middle school, "Enough with the nagging and begging! You're starting to make head explode!"

Ray smiled at her friend, as she began washing the dirty dishes in the sink, "I'm glad you see it my way!"

Out of anger, Sam had thrown a pillow at her head, which got its target. The ebony-haired vegetarian innocently looked back in her notebook as Ray angrily glared at her, but smiled as she continued to wash the dishes.

Sam looked up at the clock that was against the living room's white wall- the long hand was on the three, and the short hand was on the ten. 'I'm going to be late, again' She pulled herself off the couch and went into her room, but once she came out she wore a white blouse with a golden name tag, a black skirt just above her knee, and small black pumps that made her tall by two inches. Her hair was pulled in a small ponytail, except for a few strains of hair that smudged her fair skin.

Grabbing her keys from the kitchen table she yelled behind her shoulder, "I'm off to work!" Closing the door behind her gently, as she tried to reach her car in a fast pace.

,"She's gonna be late again..." She placed a few dishes in the cupboard, but continued to wash the rest of the dirty dishes.

* * *

,"Manson! You're late again!" A man bellowed at the young seventeen year old. His grey hair was thinning as a sign of aging, he wore a grey caterpillar between his nose upper lip; almost matching his small black eyes, and his over weight stout body.

,"I'm sorry, Mister Woods! I didn't mean to come late today! I actually meant to come early, this morning!" She pleaded for her life. She had to- the last thing she wanted was to be fired from the only place that she was actually hired.

,"I'll let you off, this time! But next time, you'll be working in the kitchen!" Sam nodded as her boss walked away from her. She sighed in relief at his mercy because if hadn't showed any she would be jobless and the bills would've still been coming.

,"Came late, again, Manson?" A Latin accent came from behind her. Turning around to see a tan-skinned Paulina Santos, with her hands on her hips. Pushing her dark locks off her shoulder, and arrogantly looking at the Goth with her teal eyes.

,"Don't worry about me, Santos." Walking past the Latin girl, a she angrily cussed under her breath, "Damn bitch, how come she leave me alone?"

,"Well, how else is she suppose to survive on earth, without feeding off of your misery?" A woman behind the counter spoke, her dirty blonde hair in a bun, and light brown eyes glinting at the young co-worker.

,"You have a point there, Kat" Sam smiled at her upperclassman, Katherine. She is going to graduate next year with honors and with a Masters degree in Business, mainly Business Management and Administration.

,"Don't let Paulina, get you so worked up Sam." Kat began as Sam walked behind the counter, "You have more important things to worry about than that whore!"

,"I know, Kat! Let's drop the subject; we have work to do." Sam put on her apron as she noticed a few more people came into the diner, and sat themselves not too far away from the counter. Taking out a small note pad, and pencil, she responded to the customers, "Welcome to Bob's Place! What would you like to order?"

* * *

After four hours of angered customers, mixed foods, and apologizing; Sam was relief that she had barely kept herself alive to see the afternoon. But things were starting to get better once Ray came through the door, and decided to take Sam's shift so she could have a break.

,"Thanks a lot, Ray!" Sam had plopped herself in a seat, as she placed her lunch on the table. She ate a small salad, with a bottle of water on the side. She sighed as she looked out the window and noticed a flyer, saying: _GOT AN AWESOME BAND? WANT TO BE A STAR? JOIN IN THE ROCK BAND CONCERT CONTEST. THE WINNER WILL GET A 10,000 GRAND CASH PRIZE AND A FIVE-YEAR RECORD DEAL!!! SUBMISSION DUE ON FEBUARY 15TH!!!_

,"C'mon Sam, it's your shift!" Sam had taken off the flyer and folds it neatly in her skirt pocket.

,"I'm coming, Ray!" She got up from her seat and cleaned the table before she resumed her job. Throughout the past half an hour, she had been doing nothing but washing dishes and cleaning tables since Mister Woods didn't want her to cause more trouble around the diner.

As she scrubbed a dirty dish, she angrily glared at Paulina who had flirted and had gotten numbers from at least ten customers 'What a damn whore? I'm going to get sick if she flirts with the next guy that comes right through that door!'

A bell rang, as a customer entered the diner...

* * *

Entering the unfamiliar place, he took a seat in front of the counter.

,"Oh my god! That guy is so hot!" Kat whispered to Sam, but she was too busy trying to get the damn crusty stain off the damn plate, "Go take his order!"

Sam looked at her with confused anger, "Me? You're not doing anything- you go take his order! Or ask Paulina to do it! I'm a bit busy trying to clean the dishes." She angrily scrubbed a dish, but Kat soon took it away from her.

,"Go, take the customer's order! I'll wash the dishes, and you know Paulina is still flirting with her current customer. By the time she's done, he'll be gone! We can't afford to lose another customer!"

'I hate it when she's right! The last thing I want is for me and Ray to be evicted.' Sam sigh, as she pushed her stray hair out of her face and drying her wet hands on a small rag, "Fine!" Walking towards the customer, she grabbed her note pad and pencil, "Welcome to Bob's Place! What would you like to order?"

,"I'm only gonna be here for a while, so just give me a cup of coffee. Make it black." The customer had messy, dark hair that covered his azure eyes. He raised his eyes at Sam, she was automatically struck in awe- she had never seen such lovely pair of eyes besides Ray. She shook off her amazement as she wrote down his order.

,"Alright. Anything else?" He had shook his head, which told her that she wasn't needed anymore, "Okay then. You're drink will come up in a while." As she left to the kitchen, she heard the bell by the door ring, along with multiple footsteps entering...

,"Hey Danny!" A dark-skinned man with green eyes, sat down next to him, as the two other boys sat on the other side of their friend, "We've been looking for you everywhere! Mike and Ray think they got a new song for us!"

The dark-haired, blue-eyed man perked up his head a little, but didn't seem to be interested, "Fine! Let me hear what you guys got!"

Michael grabbed a napkin and a ballpoint from his jean pocket, and started to scribble some music notes on it, but stopping a few times to remember the rest of the notes. He passed the napkin to Danny, "Me and Ray stayed up late last night trying to get something through out thick heads!"

Danny look through the music notes, nodded in agreement, "It sounds great. We'll work on this tonight, so Ray can come up with another hit!"

,"Another hit?" Ray looked at Danny, "Danny-man, I've been working on all the lyrics since last week! Can we all take a siesta just one time? C'mon Danny, you've bags under your eyes to end up looking like the Tasmanian Devil!"

,"Shut the hell up, Ray!" Danny looked at Ray, who just rolled his eyes in annoyance. A waitress with dark hair placed in a ponytail, and purple eyes came with a coffee pot and mug. She placed a mug in front of Danny, and poured the coffee gently into the mug. She left as soon as he drank his coffee.

,"Damn that waitress sure looks fine!" Tucker stared at the waitress as she walked into the kitchen," How did we not know about this place? If that waitress is gonna be here everyday, than I'll live in this diner forever!"

Danny rolled his eyes at Tucker's comment. He looked at the kitchen door 'his' waitress had entered, and to his surprise she came out of the door. He noticed that Tucker was actually right. 'Wow! That's a first!' She was very tall for most women, but not too tall for men, her uniform barely showed her curvy figure, though she seemed like a beautiful woman she didn't seem to present herself arrogantly. He almost spit out his coffee once he noticed her dark hair, and violet eyes- the gloomy demeanor seemed quite familiar.

,"Another fine one? Man, I'm definitely living in this diner!" Another waitress came out from the kitchen door. Her wavy dark locks were in a ponytail as well, but was clearly longer, she also had a blue dyed piece of hair that barely covered her left eye. She had dark blue eyes and pale skin that matched Ray's. Even you can see her figure through her uniform.

The blue-eyed waitress went behind the counter and took out her notepad and pen, as the purple-eyed waitress went back into the kitchen, "Welcome to Bob's place! What would you boys like to order?"

,"Nothing, thank you." Michael still was trying to remember the rest of the music that nearly kept him and Ray awake the entire night.

,"I'd like to order a date with any single waitresses..." As always, Tucker flirted with the waitress, to only get an ignored answer, as she rolled her dark sapphires upward. Ray slapped Tucker in the back of his head, very hard, "OW!!!"

,"You shouldn't flirt with girls, especially if they're working hard!" Ray hid his face with a menu, "That would be very rude! Especially to a hard-working girl!"

All three guys and waitress stared at the hidden faced Ray. The waitress has never heard not one customer say that- especially a male customer! All three boys gawked at Ray- he had never said that to a girl. Sure Ray was well mannered, and a gentleman, but he never hurt Tucker and defended a girl!

,"Uh...thank you, sir. Would there be anything you like to order?" She saw his head shake behind the menu he was hiding, "Alright then..." The waitress walked away from all four boys with a confused look on her face.

Once the waitress left, Ray placed the menu down and sighed a breath, "What in damn hell was that, Ray! I always hit on waitresses and other girls, and you know that! So why defend that waitress? What makes her so different?"

All boys eagerly waited for their friend to answer. Ray looked at all his friends," She's, I-I mean...You...I-I-I...It's nothing to worry about! I just don't want you to flirt with her..."

,"Ray, do you like this girl?" All boys glared at the band's guitarist, but he pushed his hair out of his eyes, and shook his head.

,"No, I don't. It's just- never mind!" Everyone dropped the subject until the blue-eyed waitress came again with the purple-eyed waitress, and Ray hid his face with menu again.

Sam looked at four customers sitting in front of the counter, "We're gonna close up early today, so if there's anything you want to order...order it now or Raven will eat the weeks worth of fries, whole!"

Raven threw a rag at Sam's face, as she smiled, "Shut up, Sam! At least I eat, you could barely eat human proportion before you're completely full."

The dark-haired boy got up from his seat and placed a few dollars and loose change beside his coffee, "Nah. We'll be leaving. C'mon guys!" He walked out the door, with three boys following...

."Do you mind leaving the menu?" Raven looked at the boy who had defended her, but still hid his face behind the menu. He managed to leave it at a random table, as he ran out of the diner, "Thanks!"

,"So that's his name?" Raven looked at an awe-struck Sam, as she cleaned the counter top, "Danny...It sounds familiar...like I heard it before..." Sam then glanced at Raven, as she grabbed the abandoned menu, "Was there ever a Danny in our middle or high school?"

Raven shrugged her shoulders, as she placed the menu back on a small rack, "All I know was that guy who defended me was kinda weird, like he was hiding something..."

Looking out the window, both girls didn't notice a pair of dark sapphires, 'I don't want you to know I'm still here, Raven. Wait a little longer...'

,"C'mon, Ray! We got to go start your song!" Ray ran away from the window and towards the group of guys, as they cross the street.

,'Sam? I've seen you somewhere, but where? Maybe middle or high school?' Danny breathed deeply, as he walked ahead of his friends,' All I know is that I can't stop thinking about you...Why?'

* * *

Third chapter of Battle of the Bands! Please review! Sorrry it took so long, but I blame writer's block (Screams to the sky 'DAMN YOU WRITER'S BLOCK!!!!!!!') Hope you like it, I seriously worked hard o it.


	4. Chapter 4: The Past

Everyone, please forgive me for delaying this story for a week!! I've been trying to work on this story, while finishing a school project and lots of school assignments! SORRRY!!!!!

* * *

_Sam chocked on her own tears as a hand hit her cheek, causing it to redden in pain. Her body fell hard to the ground, as she tried to shake off the blow he had given her._

_,"Damn bitch! Where have you been all this time?" The smell of alcohol exerted from his lips, ash he pulled the teary-eyed girl by her long ebony hair, "Where were you?! You were with that band of yours again, weren't you?!!" She stayed silent, expect for the sound of sobs," Answer me, you bitch!!!!"_

_He punched her in the stomach, with her only response being another sob and a few row of coughs escaping her soft lips, "S-stop, p-p-please! cough, cough, cough! P-pl-ea-se, s-stop!"_

_He just smirked as he saw fresh new tears slip through her redden eyes, and was panting heavily between her sobs, "You have to be punish for your mistake! You will finally know your place in life!" He raised his hand high above his head..._

_She didn't dare to blink, but as he lowered his hand-she couldn't conceal what was building in her throat, "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!"_

,"NOOOOOOO!!!" Setting herself in a sitting position, she began to breathe heavily, as she has nervously looked around the room. She was in her room and in her bed...it had been a nightmare... Her heart was beating ten times faster, breath was heavy, and sweat gently fell down her temple. She glanced at her clock that read 2:14 a.m.

She panted for breath as she pulled her legs to her chest. 'Another nightmare! Damnit! Why must _he_ haunt me still?' She was startled once a silhouette of a four-leg feline jumped on her mattress, "Midnight." She petted the feline's dark fur, relaxing her rapidly beating heart. With her other she had push away the drop of sweat off of her, "It was another nightmare...about _him_. I can't live normally with _him_ deep in my memory, Midnight."

The feline moved itself close to her master's ankle and rubbed itself against it while purring softly. Sam smiled softly; petting the cat's dark mane, as she placed her head back on her pillow and soon drifted back to sleep, _'Don't hurt me, anymore!'_

* * *

,"Wake up...Danny? C'mon...WAKE YOUR ASS UP, DANNY!!!!"

Danny dropped to face first on his carpeted floor, glaring at Tucker who was laughing hysterically at his fallen band's lead singer, "Ha, ha, ha! That was funny!"

,"What in damn hell do you want Tucker? It's Sunday! As in the day I sleep in until noon!" He glanced at his alarm clock as it showed eight thirty-two in the morning, "So why the hell did you wake me up four hours early!!!!" He began to get up from his bedroom floor, and was about to attack until Tucker shoved a flyer in his face.

,"Look at this, Danny-man! We found it last night when we were beginning to show you the song!" Tucker placed a flyer in front of his friend. He secretly thanked the flyer for saving him from dying a few minutes early.

,"A contest?" Danny studied the flyer that had been pushed into his nose," A ten thousand dollar grand prize! A record deal! Can you take this off of my face now?!!!!"

,"Sorry, man." Tucker pulled the flyer away from Danny's face, "So what do you think? Submission's are due in a week."

,"Let's do it!" Danny sat on his bed, "We not only need the money but a record deal! We could be famous than ever!" He laid his head on the mattress at the thought of fame and fortune.

Tucker smiled in great victory at his idea- actually Michael's, Raymond's and his idea, "Great, but before we do that, Ray's got something to do!"

,"Like what?" He rose an eyebrow as he looked at his childhood friend, wondering where the band's guitarist went and why there...

* * *

The wind pushed his ebony hair, as he stood in front of an abandoned house. It's windows broken by baseballs that the little boys who live on this street would play on Saturday afternoons. The red paint on the building had faded as a sign of aging and had a bit of unwanted graffiti can be seen everywhere. The door had been nailed shut.

He walked up the wooden porch steps and managed to avoid a breaking, creaky step. Once he reached the door, he pulled the nailed pieces of wood, and opened the creaky door.

He glanced at the old furniture in the living room, as he continued to walk the hallway's path, he saw the empty dinning room, the old kitchen brought him memories...his mother's home-made cookies, his aunts, grandmothers, mother and sister preparing the Thanksgiving feast, and his sister baking cookies for her siblings whenever they were sick.

His sister...long raven hair...dark sapphire eyes...pale complexion...his twin... He remembered his older siblings Andrew, Matthew, Jonathan, and his little sister Raven. His heart lingered in the kitchen memories as his body moved to the staircase going upstairs.

He came to his shared bedroom with his brother Jonathan. He barely glanced at his older siblings bedroom but immediately stopped at a blue-black door with yellow stars...'Raven's room'.

He opened it to see her circular bed against her wall that was half painted similar to her bedroom door. Her right bedside table supported a lamp and an alarm clock, while the left held a composition notebook with a pen atop of it and an empty cup filled with clean, unused paintbrushes. The carpet was still clean as she kept it, without the dust that ascended with every step he took as he entered his female sibling's room.

There was a mirror where her left wall was suppose to be, and on the right wall stood a large bookcase filled with literary works from Mark Twain to Edgar Allan Poe and many more literary works that his sister read completely in a year and a half.

'I still hope she hasn't changed since I left'... He glanced at the pictures that hung beside the bookcase. A picture of ten year old twins were back-to-back, secretly smiling at the other twin, 'I wish I hadn't left that day...I wish I had the courage to tell you I came back...'

_----(Flashback)----_

_Long dark hair swept down her waist, sapphire eyes glinting as she looked at her painting, and pale skin that was slightly smudged by paint. Her hair swished as she looked over her shoulder to a boy her age, "Raymond, what's wrong? You always like painting on my wall."_

_Raymond stared at his twelve year old twin, happily painting her bedroom wall. His eyes showed sadness and great morn, as he did not wish to clean his sister's smiling face because of his bad news, "It's nothing Raven. I just don't feel like painting, today."_

_,"You're not sick, are you?" She placed her paintbrush down, directing her concern to her brother. He shook his head, "Then what's wrong?" She pulled herself to her feet and walked towards her elder brother by two minutes._

_,"It's nothing, Ray-bird." Though it pained him, he looked into his sister's eyes that showed great concern for his well-being. He felt great guilt lying to his only sister. He was going to a European school, who has accepted him which means he'll be there until he is seventeen or eighteen years old- it depends if he graduate early. Five to six years without family! It was like a lifetime without oxygen! He wouldn't be able to eat his mother's meals, he wouldn't play football with his brothers and father, and he wouldn't be able to hear his sister's nightingale voice...her singing voice_

_----(End flashback)----_

Walking down the creaking wooden steps, he barely looked over his shoulder to see the house before continuing to walk down the street, 'Maybe, I'll be able to tell Raven that I didn't mean to leave her'

* * *

,"Thank you for singing to the children, once again, Miss Shadows." The nurse behind the front desk spoke to the seventeen-year-old Raven and the sixteen-year-old Angela. Both of them always come to the Amity Park Hospital to sing to patients for free but as always the nurses insist they take their wages.

,"It was our pleasure, Miss. We'll be on our way and come again next week..." Both began to walk towards the exit but the nurse stopped them giving them each white envelopes.

,"Your pay, Misses! You've done enough to earn what you have given all these patients." Raven looked at her envelope back at the nurse, who looked at Raven very confusingly and astonished.

,"I don't need money to show how much you appreciate us." She spoke to the nurse very emotionless, as she placed a stoic look on her pale face.

,"But Miss Shadows, I was ordered to give it to you two as a sign of thanks and great gratitude." The nurse gently held the envelope towards the Nighshades' guitarist, "Please, take it!"

She shook her head and sighed as she gave the nurse a gently look, "No. Just give the money towards Mister Joseph Shadows. For his operation. If he asks, say it's from an anonymous donor." With that she walked out of the hospital's lobby with Angela following behind her, leaving a very confused nurse behind.

,"Mister Joseph Shadows operation?" The nurse secretly smiled as the two girls went inside a car and drove out the hospital parking lot, "Her father's operation..."

As Raven drove, Angela continued to stare at her cousin in a stoic way. Ray glanced at her cousin as she stopped at a red light, "Are you sure about what you did? At the hospital?"

Ray moved the car as the light turned green, "Yeah. My dad still needs the operation, but you know as well as I that I can't afford the operation. Not to mention I have to send money to Raymond who's still in Europe..." Everything fell silent as Raven's last sentence.

Angela looked towards her cousin to see her eyes concealing emotional pain and suffering and the feeling of being betrayed, "Even after _they_ lied to you, you can't help but love _them_ still." Ray slightly glanced at the tan-skinned kindred, as she continued, "Even after he didn't tell you he was leaving, you felt very alone, sad and betrayed. But all those three emotions-even combined- aren't what you actually feel for your brother. You still miss him and love him as much as you love and miss your mother."

Raven held her pain as she made a left turn, "Angie, don't tell the other Nightshades' about our family issues. Last thing I want is more people knowing about our personal lives." Angela nodded obediently **(A/N: WOW! That's a first! Angela is kind of a rebel...),** her jet-black mid-length hair swaying as she rolled the window down, and shut her dark eyes as the late-winter air pressed her cinnamon skin.

Raven stopped the car in front of red and yellow two-story house. Angela looked at Raven and smiled at her as a thank you, "Thanks, Ray. For driving me back home." She got out of the car and shut the door but not before, "And don't worry, I'm sure Raymond hasn't broken his promise." Angela ran into her house, while waving a last good-bye to her relative.

_----(Flashback)----_

_,"Dad! Mom! Where's Raymond?!" The frantic twelve year old looked at both her father and mother as she desperately searched for her missing sibling, "I didn't see him asleep in his room- I only found Jonathan there! Where's Raymond? Where is he?"_

_,"Sweetie..." Her mother looked down at her, "Raymond left to Europe, didn't he tell you?" Her mother gasped as she saw her daughter shake her head, "He said to me, he told everyone he was leaving for Europe."_

_,"He didn't say anything to me, Mom!" Raven ran up the stair and into her room slamming her door violently. She glanced at the punching bag that was inside in her closet, which she used to train for boxing, karate and other self-defenses, and rarely when she was angry. She grabbed the punching bag and started hitting it like crazy. Punching it out hard as she was almost at the brink of tears. _

_Right. Left. Right. Left. Kick. Combo punch. Spinning kick. She panted heavily, but continued to punch the stuffed bag, "Why. Did. N't. He. Tell. Me. He. Was. Leav. Ing!" She finally hit the bag that all the stuffing flew out of the punching bag. She began to breathe heavily, as she collapsed to her knees, and was on the ground with her back hunched. Slowly as one tear fell down, she began to sob entirely._

_Her tears clouded her vision so she kept her sapphires closed entirely, "We were suppose to stay together...sob...Twins! You promised me...sob...you were never going...sob... to leave me..." She continued to sob, not in anger or betrayal but of sadness, "You promise you were going to protect me...ever since I have my condition...sob...You broke that promise Raymond...sob" _

_Suddenly her heart began to beat twice as fast and her breathing became more difficult. Her entire body fell to the floor as she laid there wheezing, "Help me...Raymond..." Her eyes fell, but not before she saw a silhouette of her elder brother, Andrew, calling for her parents for help._

_----(End Flashback)----_

As Raven entered her room, she glanced at her inhaler on top of her bed. She sat herself beside the portable device that relieves her bronchial problems. She gingerly held it, but looked at it very disgustingly as she tossed it inside her bedside table's drawer, closing it rather violently. 'I don't need a device to relieve my lungs but an uphold on a vow to mend my heart.'

* * *

,"You bitch!"

,"You jackass!"

,"You whore!"

,"You prick!"

,"Damn you to hell!"

,"Come again, dick face!" The dark-haired, purple-eyed Sam glared at the guy she found out was called Danny. He came into the diner rather drunken-looking. He began throwing insults to anyone who left or entered the diner- she was actually happy when he insulted Paulina, but then he began to be rather annoying. She asked him kindly to leave but he refused and began to insult her, which resulted into her throwing a plate of food being delivered into his face.

,"Damn asshole! Insulting me!" She muttered angrily as she cleaned up the 'tainted' order, that the customer ordered. She decided to come to work on her day off, hoping to get some extra money. Though every night this month, she's been having nightmares that have always made her wake up in the middle of the night, screaming and panicking. She still try to push _him_ far from her mind, but it seems the further she pushes her bad past, it manages to haunt her in her sleep.

As Kat exited the kitchen, she glanced at Sam on her knees as she picked up the plates and dirty food, "Sam, what happened? One second of me being gone and suddenly a plateful of food slips off Emily's hand. What's up?"

,"Turned out that 'the hot guy' was 'the big ass in the world'!" She angrily placed the plate on the counter, making Kat cringe at the sound of the plates clatter, "Remind me to never be friends with another 'hot guy' that enters this diner!" She blew a piece of hair out of her eyes, as the glared at her co-worker.

The brown-eyed soon-to-be-graduate smirked at fellow worker, "C'mon Sam! He was just drunkenly disoriented- it's not really his fault. So it's no use getting angry over something you can't control." Her violet eyes glared back her, "I bet you like him, still!"

,"I _**NEVER**_ liked him!" Sam retorted, as she made sure Mister Woods wasn't coming where she and Kat were having a conversation, "He was just any other customer, but he just happens to have a smartass mouth!" The last time I met someone that arrogant was when I was still in middle school- and he wasn't even a student but a teacher!" She grabbed the plates, as she entered the kitchen putting the plates in the sink and managed to come back behind the counter.

,"Yeah right!" Kat sat on one of the stools, and childishly spinning herself, "I bet you actually felt butterflies when you first saw him! I even saw you staring at him!"

,"Shut up!" Sam angrily said as she began cleaning the counter, not noticing Kat's smirk that twirled around with the spinning stool.

"Damn bitch!" A man looked over his shoulder to see the ebony-haired, violet-eyed waitress cleaning the counter, "I'll get you back! You'll regret what you do to me! I swear, I'll get you sooner or later- even if it means killing you!"

* * *

DUN, DUN DUNNNN!!! Fourth chapter of Battle of the Bands! Please review! Sorrry it took so long, but I blame my school work (Screams ,'DAMN YOU SCHOOL SYSTEM!!!!') Hope you like it!!! Though I know it's suck-ish!

REVIEW PLEASE!


	5. Chapter 5: Music and Lyrics

Everyone, please forgive me for delaying this story for a week or so!! I've been trying to work on this story, while finishing a school project and lots of school assignments! SORRRY!!!!!

* * *

,"What'cha got there Ray?" A dark-haired bandleader said, while walking towards the Phantom's second guitarist who was seated on a spinning chair. The guitarist began moving his fingers on the music console in the control room, and moving back and forth with his chair from the music console to the computer-based DAW or Digital Audio Workstation.

,"I got what you wanted." He diverted his eyes from the DAW to the lead vocalist and guitarist. He stood up and looked at the bandleader with a sleepy but accomplished look on his face, "I'm done with the music. It took all night but I didn't seem to care."

,"Let's hear it." Danny glanced at the DAW, hoping the music that was already completed would play on it own accord- or rather be created on it own accord so Ray didn't have to stay up so late at night and actually have some sleep.

,"You realize I said 'music' not 'song'?" He gave a perplexed look at the dark-haired, azure-eyed bandleader. Why was he so eager to hear the music? He was never anticipated to hearing the instrumentals, but rather the lyrics along with the instrumental in perfect harmony.

His blue eyes looked at the dark-circled blue eyes, "Yeah! I wanna hear how it sounds so I can get some ideas on writing the lyrics." It was his first time writing the lyrics to one of their songs so it wasn't any wonder why he'd be more interested in the music but not as much concern for Raymond's own health.

Raymond sat himself down as he moved the seat toward the DAW that had two typing keyboards. His hands switched between both keyboards at great speed, but soon stopped as he pressed the 'Enter' button on one of the computers...

The music began with the instrumentals of violins, and cellos...

* * *

,"What should we practice today, Sam?" Valerie glanced at the lead singer who was staring aimlessly into the blank lined sheet of her ringed notebook, tapping a pen most annoyingly on it. She pushed her dark locks away from her face as she tried to write a new song she was hoping to make.

Two fingers ripped through her thoughts and snapped at her. Glancing up to see the owner of the fingers was an irritated dark-skinned keyboardist. Her emerald eyes showed anger at her unanswered question, "Sam! Are you listening?"

,"Sorry, Val. I was just thinking, that's all." She gave an apologetic look to her impatient high school friend. Both never really got along but didn't even hate one another, It was as if both were mild with or without the other as long as the other doesn't say something that they'll soon regret, "I was trying to come up with a new song for the band..."

,"Well, why don't you ask Ray?" She said very matter-of-factly. She said it as though Ray was an information booth giving away all she knew. Sam shook the idea of asking Ray for help 'She has too much to worry about already'

,"I don't want to ask Ray for everything. I want to do it on my own!" She said rather reasonable to the African-American teen that was sitting down on the couch. Sure, Sam did want Raven's help but she didn't want her stress out even more- I mean, if you had a scared past who would tell? Or rather, why you would never tell anybody? She glanced at the blank page very upset, as she tapped her pen, again, but very violently.

Angela entered the room, dancing crazily to the music on her iPod. The music must sound very good considering the fact that Angela was dancing- which is usually a good sign- and that the volume from the ear buds were very loud. Angela-Raven's cousin, Nightshades drummer, and the world's amazing dancer to ever walk the world! You don't ever want to be Angie's opponent in a Dance Off!

Sam secretly smiled at the ridiculously dancing drummer in the apartment living room, and laughed as the drummer slipped on the rug and fell backwards onto the black loveseat, saying, " I'm okay! I'm okay! I'm not dead...yet?" She began to pick herself up as Ray came into the living room.

,"So, when are you gonna write that song, Sam?" Raven teased as she walked to the kitchen and grabbed a box of Frosted Flakes from one of the multiple cabinets.

,"It's going great- it might as well turn out to be a novel instead!" Sam sarcastically responded to the other Nightshade. Returning to her song writing dilemma, she began hearing a beat that plagued her thoughts as she tried to use this 'unknown music' to inspire her to write the lyrics...

Her hand moved the pencil in a rapid pace across the paper of her notebook...

* * *

,"That was awesome!"

,"It is?" Raymond gave a confused to his enthusiastic friend, who continued to stare in awe at one of the DAW computer screens in front of him. "But it was mainly orchestra music, not much of guitar and drums...Are you alright Danny? You sick or something?" The doubting Raymond placed his hand on Danny's forehead.

He pushed the hand away angrily," Get your hand off of me! I'm not sick! I'm serious, Raymond, this music is really awesome- all we need is our drum, guitars, and vocals."

Raymond slightly raised his eyebrow," And...?"

,"And what?"

,"What about the lyrics? Have you come up with at least a verse? A chorus? Pre-chorus? A bridge? A bridge?" Raymond looked at his friend, as he saw an enlighten look on his face.

,"You just gave me an idea, Ray!"

* * *

Fingers moving quickly on the steel-stringed electric guitar, as she tried to make the music harmonize the lyrics she just wrote. She stopped as she ran her hand through her dark locks, and disappointedly looked at the lyrics written in her notebook, as she threw it carelessly on the carpeted floor.

,"Damnit!" She looked at the guitar, which she held by its neck. 'Why can't I get the music?' Glancing back to her lyrics, she grimace at the hundreds music chords she had to play just to fit the lyrics, but was still unsuccessful.

,"That's a bad word..." She jumped at the sudden voice. Turning around to see a five-year-old, poking her head out of the slightly ajar door of Sam's room. Her brown hair cascading down her shoulders, as she wore a lovely blue nightgown and pale skin complementing her light brown eyes glistened on their own.

Sam tenderly smiled at the child. 'It's just Helena. For a moment I thought someone was going to assassinate me.' Placing a hand on her hip, she gently sighed in relief, "Shouldn't you be in bed? It's way past your bedtime?"

The little girl continued to stare at the seventeen-year-old with odd violet eyes, "Shouldn't you be asleep, too?" She smartly answered, crossing her arms in a childish manner. Though her face held an innocent look all children had, she seemed to have more knowledge than the Webster Dictionary.

,"I don't think your mother will like the idea of you staying up past your bedtime." The little girl scrunched her face into a scowl, making the teenager secretly smirk. Lowering herself to the small girl, she gently smiled at her, "What's wrong, Helena?"

,"Where's Mama?" She automatically went to the point as her face spoke of a gently worry and scared look, "I haven't seen her today!" She lowered her eyes in embarrassment and guilt, "D-did Mama l-l-leave me?" Tears slipped through her brown eyes and softly curved down her pale cheek.

Seeing the little five-year-old in tears made her pull the little girl in a hug, "No, sweetie! You're mother would never abandon you! Don't cry. Helena..." She herself was almost on the brink of tears at the thought of all that Helena has been through.

Her actual mother died months after Helena's birth, and was left in the care of her abusive, drug-dealing father. He would beat her after he was completely drunk and disoriented- leaving poor Helena traumatize physically and emotionally, and became mute at the age of three. After police officers got her father, she was placed in foster care, but every family she went to brought her back for unknown reasons. But when her current 'Mama' adopted her she was surprised at the sudden kindness and tenderness given to her.

,"I-I'm s-s-sorry...sob..." Little Helena said in Sam's shirt, "I-I'm s-sorry f-for w-wetting y-our sh-irt!" Petting her brown hair, the crying descended a little. A few minutes later, the crying stopped and only gentle breaths could be heard.

_,'She's sleeping?'_ She gently pulled Helena away to see her shut eyes continuing pouring tears as her cheeks turned to a sweet pink after the tear-stains disappeared Her tiny chest rose and fell, as her mouth gently inhaled and exhaled the oxygen.

,"Just put her in my room..." A voice spoke. Sam looked up to see a shadowed figure leaning on the doorframe, "She's grown onto you, hasn't she?"

Sam angrily scowled at the shadowed figure as she pick up the little girl and placed her on a blue-sheeted mattress with a black cover that had a picture of a wolf...

* * *

5th chapter to Battle of the Bands! Please review! Sorry I hadn't posted it up sooner, but of course there are hell of a lot of horrible things called school, homework and SATURDAY SCHOOL!!! (Screams ,'NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!')

I know it's nothing but I Hope you like it!!!

REVIEW PLEASE!

P.S. I'm on Spring Break now so I might update a little more than usual!!! Also in awhile I'm gonna see 'Horton Hears A Who"- I might be 14 but I still sure as hell love cartoons and being childish!!!


	6. Chapter 6: The Truth

Yay! I'm updating more! Here's the next chapter of Battle of the Bands! Enjoy!

UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T OWN THE SONGS ON MY FANFIC OR DANNY PHANTOM!

_Italics- girl's lyrics_

**Bolded- boy's lyrics**

Underlines- thoughts

--------

Slipping the envelope in the mailbox, Danny continued his long trek to his apartment. He dug his hands into his pocket nonchalantly; as he turned a street corner pass an almost empty street. He held in a sigh that almost escaped his mouth. He had stayed up most of the night trying to write the lyrics that would harmonize the music Ray produced.

His thoughts were interrupted when he was already in front of his apartment complex. He casually walked in and up on the third floor, to find Tucker leaning against his apartment room. Danny quirked an eyebrow in confusion, "What's up, Tuck?" 

His green eyes stared into blue ones, as he stood up straight towards his bandleader. His face held a frown in disappointment, "It's about that contest..." He continued as he bandleader stayed silent, "Well...WE'RE IN!" He turned his frown right side up, as Danny lightly punched his friend's shoulder, "OW!"

,"Are you serious? Don't go making jokes!" Danny stared at the keyboardist in amazing disbelief. The cocky boy continued, "Yup, that's right, Danny my man! When we send in our demo tape they decided to place us in the contest right away! They said for us to meet them downtown, Altern Records on the tenth floor! It was easy as playing the scales! Where are you going?"

Danny walked down the hall to his own apartment, looking over his shoulder, "I'm gonna finish those lyrics..." He closed the door to his apartment. For a moment. Just for a moment, Tucker thought he had seen Danny smile- not smirk like he has always done- but smiled...

--------

Answering the phone, Angela lowered the volume on her ear buds; as soon as she realized who it was... she was completely silent, only saying, "Thanks, goodbye." Then hanging up the phone, "YES!" The two band members looked at Angela as though she had grown a plant on her head.

Sam quickly placed her hand on her mouth, "Angie, shut up! Helena is still asleep." Angie's angry voice was muffled by Sam's hand, as she pitifully released her hand, "WE ARE IN THE CONTEST! They wanna met us on the third floor of Altern Records!" Her voice was louder than her usual blaring ear buds.

,"What is that?" A small voice spoke. All three-band members, turned around to see little Helena holding her teddy bear in her arm, a blanket draped over her shoulders like a cloak and rubbing her sleepy eye with her tiny fist.

,"I'm sorry, sweetie!" Angela walked toward the tiny figure and picked her up in her arms, "I'm so sorry! Did I wake you up?" She held the girl firmly not to drop her but gentle enough to hug her.

,"No, Auntie Angels," The little gently pulled away from the hug and stared at her 'Auntie', "I was already awake when you were talking. Do you know where Mama is? I wanna see Mama, again!" Helena's face spoke of desperate need of her mother's love. Like all babies and children, who need motherly love at an early age- Helena wanted the love that she only grasp for a short time.

The door opened to a woman, who made Helena smile as Angela placed her on her feet, she already ran toward the woman, "MAMA, YOU'RE HERE!"

--------

,"Are you sure this is the right place, Tuck?" Michael looked at the large building before the boys, as they hesitated to go inside, "This place seems too 'high class' to me."

,"Well, they are sponsoring the contest." Danny led his band members to the entrance then to the front desk where a woman in her mid-twenties sat typing on the computer, carelessly.

She looked at the quartet of boys that just entered through her spectacles, "May I help you young men, with anything?"

,"Yeah. We're here to see...Mister Davidson for a meeting." Danny handed her a letter, which she read thoroughly and returned it back to the boy.

,"Mister Davidson will be with you shortly in the Recording Studio. You take the elevator; make two rights than go straight ahead, and there you'll find the recording studio. Mister Davidson will be there in thirty minutes or so..."

,"Thanks. C'mon guys!" He folded the paper and placed it in his pocket as he headed to the elevator, with the band members following him. They followed the directions given to them and were faced with a door that read Recording Studio.

Danny opened the door to see four girls, but what surprised him more was that one of them held the dark demeanor of ebony hair and violet eyes...

--------

,"YOU!"

,"YOU!"

Both bandleaders glared at each other in great anger, but Tucker held Danny as Valerie and Angela holding down their bandleader to the couch she was seated on.

Raven glared at one of the boy band members that was a complete reflection of herself, but in a more masculine version, "R-Raymond? Is that you?"

He was startled at the voice he had heard singing beautifully years ago before he left. He wished 'Please don't get angry...',"Raven?"

She took a step forward, looking at him more closely. She doubted it was him as Angela did; she thought she was being delusion! 'H-he can't be here! He's suppose to be in Europe, studying!' ,"When did you come back?"

He hesitated thinking if she would still come toward him in open arms or... ,"Five years earlier than you thought."

He looked up at her face to see anger burning. She began chasing him around the room, but soon stopped as he used a stray couch for protection and to at least use it to talk to her, "Raven, please listen! I didn't mean to leave you without saying goodbye! I didn't mean not to tell you that I came a few years earlier than expected!"

,"You were here the entire time? You were here when he was diagnosis with cancer! You were here when she passed away! You were still here when I was being bullied! Even when I kept sending money to you! You were right under my nose!" She glared at her brother, "I had to struggle while you were still here playing 'Rock Star'!"

,"What about you!" Raymond's anger flared at his sister's own tirade, "You're playing the 'Rock Star game', too! You shouldn't be acting like a hypocrite!"

,"Excuse me!" Her entire anger had turned to utter fury, "All you have to worry about is college, your band, and at least one job! But I have to juggle college, my band members, two jobs, my father's operation, and my daughter!"

Raymond stared wide-eyed at his sister. He had a niece! A niece he never knew about. 'Did his sister get pregnant at an early age? Who was the father?' Questions floated through his mind but only one came out, "You have a daughter?"

,"Yes, Raymond. I do have a daughter. She's young but she is smart enough to know why she doesn't see her mother as much as she sees the sun every day." 

The door opened to the C.E.O and founder of Altern Records, Mister Davidson, "Hello! Is everyone getting along?" He glanced at the room to see two girls holding down another girl, while one girl looked she was going to strangle a boy and another boy held boy, "I guess, I shouldn't have asked that..."

--------

,"You two bands are here because I thought both of you had potential of being in the contest." He looked between the bands, to only feel tension, "Well, ladies, can you demonstrate your music for us?"

All four girls went into the recording room, and picked up the instruments set up from them. Since there was no keyboard, Valerie had to use the guitar, just like Raven and Sam. As they tuned their guitars a little, they waited for the C.E.O to press the record button.

Once the red flashed, Angela and Valerie started playing in harmony.

Sam drew a breath_, "You make me feel out of my element. Like I'm walking on broken glass. Like my world's spinning in slow motion. And you're moving too fast. "_

A sudden burst of the song surprised the C.E.O and boys, as Sam and Raven sang the chorus and played their guitars,_ "Were you right? Was I right? Were you weak? Was I strong? Both of us broken. Caught in the moment. We lived and we loved. And we hurt and we joked, yeah. But the planets all aligned. When you looked into my eyes. And just like that. The chemicals react. The chemicals react."_

The song toned down a bit but still kept its sudden burst, once Raven began the second verse and didn't use her guitar_, "You make me feel out of my element. Like I'm drifting out to the sea. Like the tides pulling me in deeper. Making it hard to breathe…We cannot deny, how we feel inside. We cannot deny."_

The chorus came out with the burst again with both singer using their guitars,_ "Were you right? Was I right? Were you weak? Was I strong? Both of us broken. Caught in the moment. We lived and we loved. And we hurt and we joked, yeah. But the planets all aligned. When you looked into my eyes. And just like that. The chemicals react. The chemicals react."_

Sam quickly sang as she continued playing her guitar with fast fingers_, "Kaleidoscope of colors. Turning hopes into fire, sun burning. Shining down on both of us. Don't let us lose it (Don't let us lose it)"_

The chorus was coming to an end by how it sounded by the two singers,_ "Were you right? Was I wrong? Were you weak? Was I strong? Yeah. Both of us broken. Caught in the moment. We lived and we loved. And we hurt and we joked, yeah, yeah, yeah…We lived. We loved. We hurt. We joked. We're right. We're wrong. We're weak. We're strong. We lived to love…"_

_,"But the planets all aligned. When you looked into my eyes. And just like that. Watch the chemicals react. (Chemicals, chemicals, chemicals)) And just like that the chemicals react (chemicals, chemicals, chemicals)(The chemicals react)" A single note was lastly played by Sam's hand, as all four girls exhaled deeply._

,"That was great, girls!" Mr. Davidson spoke, as he was somewhat speechless by the Nightshades performance.

----------

,"Start whenever you're ready!"

Danny began playing his guitar,** "I woke up it was 7. Waited till 11. Just to figure out that no one would call. I think I got a lot of friends but I don't hear from them. What's another night all alone? When your spending everyday on you own. And here it goes..."**

The four exploded their chorus,_** "I'm just a kid and life is a nightmare. I'm just a kid; I know that it's not fair. Nobody cares, cause I'm alone and the world is. Having more fun than me."**_

The song was mellow, but was quickly replaced with the beats of the drums and electric guitar,** "And maybe when the night is dead, I'll crawl into my bed. Staring at these 4 walls again. I'll try to think about the last time, I had a good time. Everyone's got somewhere to go. And their gonna leave me here on my own and here it goes."**

Another burst of energy surged through the recording room**, "I'm just a kid and life is a nightmare. I'm just a kid; I know that it's not fair. Nobody cares, cause I'm alone and the world is. Having more fun than me...What the fuck is wrong with me? Don't fit in with anybody. How did this happen to me? Wide-awake I'm bored and I can't fall asleep. And every night is the worst night ever...**

Danny's voice softened but rose as the drums were playing in a face pace,** "I'm just a kid (repeat x5)..."**

The song and music came to a halt but was quickly back in place as it entered the chorus,** "I'm just a kid and life is a nightmare. I'm just a kid; I know that it's not fair. Nobody cares, cause I'm alone and the world is nobody wants to be alone in the world..."**

He repeated the chorus but slightly changing the chorus,** "I'm just a kid and life is a nightmare. I'm just a kid; I know that it's not fair. Nobody cares, cause I'm alone and the world is nobody wants to be alone in the world. Nobody cares, cause I'm alone and the world is. Having more fun than me...Tonight...I'm all alone tonight. Nobody cares tonight. Cause I'm just a kid tonight"**

,"Great job, boys!" Looking through the glass, to see a smiling C.E.O...

---------

,"I'll call both of you in a couple of weeks. Thanks again for coming down." Mr. Davidson shook both of the bandleaders' hands, as he left them in the hallway- with four confused teens, three angry teens and one disappointed teen.

As both bands went in their separate ways, they unfortunately met up once again by the front desk, with the woman not noticing or rather not caring about the tension between both bands.

Raven walked over to the woman, "I'm here to pick up my daughter..."The woman turned her chair to reveal a little brown-haired girl, with angry eyes as she was strapped to a chair, "Dios mio! (1) What did you do to her!" She jumped over the desk and went toward the little girl, who was struggling against the rope around her body.

,"Well, she kept moving around and there was no way of sitting her down, so I had to tie her down." The woman spoke without any care as she continued to move her fingers on the computer keyboard. She suddenly stopped typing once the computer screen turned black and saw the angered face of a guitarist, holding a plug.

,"Don't you dare lay a hand on my daughter! Or I will see to it that you are fired before you get seven-hundred friends on your list!" She dropped the plug violently as she grabbed her daughter's hand and lead her out the door...

--------

,"Well, wasn't that kinda like a soap opera!" Tucker tried to break the silence between his band members, only to be slapped in the back of his head numerous times by his so-called 'friends', "OW! OW! OW! You know, that hurts!"

,"Shut up, Tucker!" Danny spoke in a monotone voice, "Last thing I want to remember is that damn bitch! That damn waitress! Frickin' Diner Girls!" Danny took a sip from his Budweiser, not caring that he was underage.

,"Now that you talk about, both of them are the waitresses at that one diner-what was it called again?" Michael turned the steering wheel to make the car to a left turn, "Oh, it was called Bob's Place!"

,"How did you know that girl back there Ray?" Danny changed the subject to avoid a certain violet-eyed waitress/band guitarist, "She seemed very surprise to see you but once you mentioned about 'Five Years Earlier' she went on a complete rampage like she had PMS or something."

,"She's-" He was cut off once he saw his sister walking across the street, holding hands with a little brown-eyed girl. Her brown hair softly draped her shoulder, and looked soft enough to be mistaken for silk, brown eyes that was gentle and sweet like melted chocolate, but her pale complexion was ivory itself. Raymond was confused 'She looks nothing like her, maybe her skin tone, but...' 

The little girl turned her head towards him, and she smiled sweetly as she proceeded to walk before the light turn red. He was disappointed once Michael continue to drive, but was suddenly nudged on the shoulder by his band leader, "Ray? Ray! Are you gonna answer my question or not!"

,"Yeah...She's my-uh-"

,"Girlfriend!" Tucker shouted, cutting off Raymond.

He scowled at his friend, "NO! She's my sister-my twin sister!"

At his answer he heard Danny spit out his drink, Tucker falling back to the trunk of the van, and Michael making the car tires screech a bloody murder. All three boys in surprised unison, spoke, "WHAT THE HELL!"

Staring at a confused Phantoms guitarist...

--------

I don't own Chemicals React by Aly & AJ or I'm Just A Kid by Simple Plan

Dios mio means 'My goodness!' or 'My God!' in Spanish.

I know it's kind of early update but I really couldn't resist using the time I have for spring break! 

REVIEW PLEASE!

P.S. I just came back from seeing 'Horton Hears A Who' and it was AWESOMELY HI-LARIOUS! GO WATCH IT IS SERIOUSLY IS AWESOME! When Jojo sang, my entire jaw fell down on the theatre floor! IT'S REAL GOOD- YOU'VE GOTTA SEE IT!


	7. Chapter 7: Different Helps

Yay

Yay!! I'm updating more!! Here's the next chapter of Battle of the Bands!! Enjoy!

UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T OWN THE SONGS ON MY FANFIC OR DANNY PHANTOM!!

_Italic- thoughts_

_Italic/ Underlined- lyrics_

* * *

The head shower gently sprayed on her ebony locks, as she closed her purple eyes to avoid any water going into them. She sighed heavily as she indulged herself in a warm shower, wanting to erase all the occurring events that had happened so early, today.

The music on the radio changed to Leona Lewis's first American single 'Bleeding Love' (one of my favorite songs: D). Subconsciously she sang as she poured her lilac shampoo on her scalp,_ "Closed off from love. I didn't need the pain. Once or twice was enough. And it was all in vain. Time starts to pass. Before you know it you're frozen...But something happened. For the very first time with you. My heart melts into the ground. Found something true. And everyone's looking round. Thinking I'm going crazy."_

She opened her eyes toward ceiling, as the sudden face of the Phantoms' bandleader appeared in her train of thoughts _'Why does he still plague my mind when I sincerely distaste him?'__, "But I don't care what they say. I'm in love with you. They try to pull me away. But they don't know the truth. My heart's crippled by the vein. That I keep on closing. You cut me open and I..."_

_,"Keep bleeding. Keep, keep bleeding love. I keep bleeding. I keep, keep bleeding love. Keep bleeding. Keep, keep bleeding love. You cut me open."_ Another sigh escaped her lips, as water continue to pour on her body. She tried to decipher what she felt towards the boy with dark hair that covered his azure eyes. At first sight, she had felt something unfamiliar, but once she met him again she decided to hold great detest to him, but she was beginning to have second thoughts

A knock came from the door, with an angered yell from Valerie wanting Sam to get out of the shower quickly, then her footsteps faded down the hall. She mentally cursed to Valerie for interrupting her only time to have relaxation, besides sleeping,_ "Trying hard not to hear. But they talk so loud. Their piercing sounds fill my ears. Try to fill me with doubt. Yet I know that the goal. Is to keep me from falling...But nothing's greater. Than the rush that comes with your embrace. And in this world of loneliness. I see your face. Yet everyone around me. Thinks that I'm going crazy, maybe, maybe..."_

She continued to be deep in her thoughts as she rubbed her petite physique in warm vanilla scrub, while singing along to Leona Lewis,_ "But I don't care what they say. I'm in love with you. They try to pull me away. But they don't know the truth. My heart's crippled by the vein. That I keep on closing. You cut me open and I."_

She turned off the showerhead, and stepped out of the shower, wrapping herself in a towel, and quickly changed into a black tank top, and faded jeans with a studded belt,_ "Keep bleeding. Keep, keep bleeding love. I keep bleeding. I keep, keep bleeding love. Keep bleeding. Keep, keep bleeding love. You cut me open."_

She unlocked the door, since there was no point when she was just going to brush her hair. Turning toward the mirror, she gently dried her hair and began brushing her hair. Little did she know, a pair of chocolate eyes peering at the seventeen-year-old, who began singing to the point where the mirror before her will shatter into a million pieces,_ "And it's draining all of me. Oh they find it hard to believe. I'll be wearing these scars. For everyone to see."_

She stood in the doorway, staring at her 'Auntie' Sam, who had yet to notice little Helena,_ "I don't care what they say. I'm in love with you. They try to pull me away. But they don't know the truth. My heart's crippled by the vein. That I keep on closing. You cut me open and I...Keep bleeding. Keep, keep bleeding love. I keep bleeding. I keep, keep bleeding love. Keep bleeding. Keep, keep bleeding love. You cut me open and I...Keep bleeding. Keep, keep bleeding love. I keep bleeding. I keep, keep bleeding love. Keep bleeding. Keep, keep bleeding love. You cut me open and I. Keep bleeding. Keep, keep bleeding love..."_

,"You sing just like Mama." Sam jumped at the sudden voice and turned to see Helena standing in the doorway of the bathroom. She turned off the radio and walked toward the five-year-old.

,"Don't scare me like that, sweetie." Helena giggled once she saw a smile curve on the bandleader's lips. She continued to brush her hair as the little girl sat on the cover of the toilet seat, looking at her 'Auntie' with patience.

,"Why is Mama mad?" Turning her violet orbs to her 'niece', who wore an innocent look that all children hold, "Why was Mama so mad when she came back?"

She placed her brush by the sink, and lowered to the girl's height, "Because that mean lady tied you up."

,"I know Mama was mad because of that, but I mean when she said 'Raymond' and started saying bad words." The little girl looked up curiously. She didn't know why her mother held such anger and hatred to this 'Raymond' she hasn't meet. But she could tell her mother was angry, and she wanted to know what was bothering her.

What was she going to say? _'You're mother is angry because she just found out her twin brother was still here while she was struggling with her life.'_ No. She would never let this information fall onto the shoulders of this child; it was too much to take in. She sighed, "I don't think I should be the one to tell you, sweetie."

Helena nodded, as she looked up at her 'Auntie'. She diverted to a black-blue mark that barely showed on her 'Auntie's' right shoulder, "You got an 'ow-ie' Auntie?"

Sam looked at her right shoulder to see but of one mark of her horrid past. She looked at the girl with sincere eyes, "Yes, I got an ow-ie."

,"How did you get it?" She looked into those eyes that held nothing but pure curiosity, but knew that this little girl had no knowledge what she had been through. She did what she had to do...

She lied, "I don't remember. It was a long time ago." The little girl nodded, "Now, go get dress! We're gonna go out to eat in a while..." The little girl nodded happily as she jumped off the seat and ran out of the bathroom.

Slowly, she stood up and pulled her sleeveless top to hide the bruise...

* * *

,"I finished it!" Danny announced to himself, as he read and re-read the lyrics that he had successfully completed on his own. With his wonderful penmanship, he wrote 'Thnks Fr Th Mmrs' as the title for his completed lyrics, "And it took so damn long..."

He began strumming his guitar with rapid fingers as he tried to harmonize the music that Raymond had produced not too long ago. He tried to engrave the music to harmonize the music, but found it difficult when Tucker's guitar playing can be heard somewhere else.

He deceased his guitar playing, wanting to slam his best friend's head in wet cement but continued to play along with his friend's music. They matched! In perfect harmony they equally created the missing piece of the Music puzzle!

He started to sing the lyrics as he began to be absorbed in his masterpiece! His creation! _,"...One night and one more time. Thanks for the memories even though. They weren't so great. He tastes like you only sweeter. One night yeah and one more time. Thanks for the memories. Thanks for the memories. See he tastes like you only sweeter..."_

Smirking, he victoriously took a swig a bottle of beer, emptying all its contents in one gulp. Seventeen and all ready drinking? He didn't care, as long as he kept on breathing and walking on the earth- he wouldn't give a rat's ass what anyone thought about him, or his early drinking.

,"You gotta stop drinking that crap!" Michael leaned his body against the doorframe and shamefully saw the sight that was Danny's room. Beer bottles here and there, emptied or newly bought, clothes scattered across the room that you didn't know where the floor was, the room was in desperate need Febreeze or Lysol or something!, "It's gonna be the end of you, Danny-man."

,"You ain't my moms, so don't worry about it!" He popped the top to a brand new bottle of Cools Lite, and drank it slowly, "Anyhow, I think I got a way to finish that song! It took some brainstorming but think I got a great song!"

,"We'll hear it when we get back from eating out. Get your lazy ass up and dress appropriately- for once!" Danny threw a shoe at his friend, as both laughed at the sudden statement said.

* * *

Secretly placing a book back in its shelf, she gave a quick look at her wristwatch _'Damn job! I have to work overtime because of a stupid half off sale! I hate it all!'_ Sighing to only get nothing from the books on the shelf. A hand gently placed on their shoulder, as a reaction to this a fist came flying close to the person's face and her dropping a number of several books to the carpeted floor.

,"Woah! I ain't here to start WWF in a bookstore!" A boy with dark blue eyes, messy black eyes and ivory pigmentation stood before the startled Samantha Manson.

She sighed in relief, making the fist into a gentle hand placed on her heart that had banged in her chest in pain, "Raymond? What're you doing here?"

,"I'm sorry I scared you, Sam." He kneeled to the floor, picking up the fallen literary works, and handing them to his sister's long time friend. He noticed that every time he gave her a couple books that he recollected from the floor, she seemed to hesitate on either or not to get the books.

,"Thanks..." She grabbed the last couple of books that Raymond had so kindly pick up for her, placing the books back on their proper shelf. She looked at the twin, "Why are you here, Raymond?"

,"I had a feeling that you would be working. And I'm a real a sissy when I want to face Raven. So..." His voice trailed off, as Sam caught on to what he actually meant. 'He's afraid to face his sister. I couldn't-sure I'd stand up to her, but she's stubborn as a bull. If anyone met his sister- she would be skeptical on to trust you or not, but as time progresses you'll earn her trust- however if you abuse that trust- the faith that you had worked so hard to get will easily be taken away in the blink of an eye.'

,"Look, Raymond. I don't think Raven will like it if I told her everything that happened when you were away to 'Europe'." Though she didn't want to, she walked past Raymond, only to find him following her to the counter that had a couple of books that children left.

,"C'mon Sam!" He whined as she picked up two or three Dr. Suess's and Clifford The Big Red Dog books, "Please tell me! Just a brief summary of what happened! I want to know what occurred to Ray that made her go Hulk on me! Please Sam!"

She sighed, turning toward the pleading twin, "Alright! Alright! Alright...I'll tell you. Just stop whinning AND don't bring up anything about to tell you towards Raven or she'll kill me."

,"I got'cha!" He nodded in agreement. He sat in a chair across the table from where the violet-eyed female sat.

,"When you left...things around here changed. Good, but also Bad." She paused, wondering if it was an actually good thing to do, "The first that happened when you left is when Raven's mom was starting to get sick. It wasn't like a cold or flu it was really taking over her making her frail and weak. The doctor says its probably depression from you leaving or some hereditary thing- almost like cancer but worst."

At this point, Raymond was eager to know what happened, "What happened to Ray? What did she do? Did she freak out? Did she scream? Did she...cry?"

,"We're talking about Raven. No. She spent all her time beside her mother. After school, especially when she got out early, weekends, and mostly her entire free time. She would spend endless hours beside her mom's hospital bed. A year passes and she shows no progress in her health, but Raven still visits her when she can and on one day her mom just...passes away."

She heard a small gasp from the boy across from her, "I'm really sorry, Raymond...Then a few months after your father was diagnose with cancer. That's when Ray decided to work. Your brothers offered help but she refused and worked twice as hard for her father and brothers- especially since you needed money in Europe."

,"Her daughter." Sam looked up at him with confusion in her eyes, "How did her daughter come into the picture?"

,"Well, Raven was fifteen and working at this foster care center where she takes care of the children and teens. She had a child with a rough background and took her under her wing, and she grew on to her so decided to adopt her on Graduation Day."

He tried to review what information he had been given, as he felt a sudden burden being placed unceremoniously on his shoulders, "Where does she work, right now?"

Thinking for a moment, she finally got it, "Her hours usually switch every week, and so I don't really know where she is right now. Other than the diner that she works at, she also works at the foster care center around here."

,"Thanks, Sam...for everything." He rose from the chair as he was beginning to walk away but stopped momentarily, "I'm sorry about your parents."

,"Don't worry about." She smiled at the twin's consideration; "Married couples who are bitter act like high school teenagers, especially if they have a big documented break-up known as a divorce."

,"Also, your relationship with-"

She quickly cut him off before he said _**his**_ name, "You don't have to bring him up. It's really nothing to be sorry over, Raymond. But thanks." She watched Raymond walk out of the bookstore, nonchalantly, as she breathed a sigh of relief. It seems that all she's been doing lately. Sighing.

* * *

Sitting on the stool, he raised his empty shoot so the bartender could refill his empty cup. The bartender came toward the solitaire customer, filling his cup, "This is your fifth cup here, son. Don't you think you should stop by now?"

,"Just this last drink, and I'll pay you and go on my own way, old man." Taking the last sip of tequila, he placed a few bills beside the empty cup and walked out the bar, stuffing his hands in his jacket's pockets while wearing a composed look on his face. It surprised him more than usual that he already had five shots of tequila and he wasn't drunk! It must've been a miracle!

_'Damn bitch! She not only made me hate her but also made me loose my appetite!'_ He walked down the street, quickly J walking, and clearly not caring that rain began to pour down gently. Turning to a street corner he found deserted, he continued his journey through the unfamiliar streets. Sure, he never been down this street, but he needed to walk just to clear his mind from her.

,"Get away from me you bastards!!"

An angered holler can be heard from the alleyway that he was headed to. He peeked to see tree rather large men surrounding a women up against the dirty, alley-bricked walls, "Leave me alone, you jackasses!" Another yell but not of despair like usual _'damsel-in-distresses'_, but a rather threaten _'Xena: Warrior Princess'_ with a drip of anger in her voice.

,"No need for hostility."

,"All we want is to have a little fun."

,"Well, take real care of you."

Suddenly the girl punched the man in front of her, as he fell to the cemented alley ground. As she desperately tried to escape, the other two men grab a hold on her arms and pinning her to the wall very hard. He swore he heard her spinal cord crack.

,"Stay still and quiet and you just might live."

Through their hard grasps, she didn't bother to yell for help, but struggled to break free. What surprised not only Danny but also the three men was that she never showed any fear just complete anger and annoyance. Any girl at this point would have broken down in tears, as their tears unceremoniously fell down their faces. But not a drop of liquid fell from her eyes.

,"Hey bastards! I think the lady said she's not interested!" Whatever possessed Danny to do what he was thinking must be really brave or very stupid. He began to feel angered as one of the men tried to unbutton the girl's blouse, while another man tried to pull her pants down.

,"You stupid boy! Leave or you're life will be cut short!" One of the men, held a stainless steel pocketknife that glinted as lighting flashed.

Danny walked toward the men, but as soon as he came within three feet of them the man with the knife charged at the seventeen-year-old. He skidded between the man's legs, and got back up taking the knife and placed it dangerously close to his neck, "You were saying, you old bastard?" The two other men charged at him, but he quickly threw the knife in the darkness of the alley and beat the living shit of each men.

Throwing punches and kicks; dodging a few of their attacks but roughly getting hit himself. Once the fight of one against three was over, all that was left was a few drops of blood on the ground and a weakened figure of Danny that was still able to stand on his feet. The three cowards ran out before Danny could do any more bodily damage to them.

_'Great! Got the shit beat out of me because of a stupid girl!'_ He was never chivalrous but then again he wasn't selfish enough to let some girl get raped or killed. For his chivalry actions, he cursed his elder sister and mother for making him such a wuss.

,"You okay?" He glanced at the girl he had so stupidly defended. She trembled at the far end of the alley, as her cold hands buttoned her shirt and tightened her belt that hugged her wet jeans. He walked closer to her, hearing her heavy breathing and fast beating heart as the rain began to pour more onto both beings.

A blue light flashed, he quickly saw bruises on her arms that raindrops gently pounded on, but what surprised him the most was the blood that clung to her wet clothes. He didn't get a chance to hear her to answer her condition or health, when her knees gave in. He ran just in time to catch her before she fell to the hard ground. As he glanced at the injuries given to the girl before him, he saw her pale visage had a black eye and a slight bruise on her temple with her dark wet locks clung to it.

Another bright light flashed, making Danny see the one female he had saved...

It was Sam..

I don't own Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis or Thnks Fr Th Mmrs by Fall Out Boy

* * *

This is my update! Enjoy it while you can 'cause I go back to school on Monday morning! (SCREAMS!!) While in school, I'll try updating more! Plus, I need help starting my next chapters of 'Mustang Riding During Midnight', 'Dragon Riders', and 'STICK IT!! PHANTOM STYLE' I'M OPEN TO ALL IDEAS AND DELETIONS OF ANY STORIES!!

ALSO POLLS ARE OPEN ON MY BIO!! THANK U!!

REVIEW PLEASE!


	8. Chapter 8: Painful

UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T OWN THE SONGS ON MY FANFIC OR DANNY PHANTOM!! Sorry! I haven't updated but I had to work my butt off for two weeks since final grades were due at my school!

_Italic& __**Bold Italic**__- thoughts_

**Bold- emphasis/important- (This'll give u clues in this chapter)**

--

Light gently pierced through the open window, the chilly February breeze pushed the curtains. Eyes fluttered open to reveal violet orbs.

_'What happened to me?'_ Her eyes glancing around the room where she laid. Posters of bands that were known to her on every wall space, a couple of drawers with cloths spilling out from them, an opened window- this definitely wasn't her house! Her hands roamed under the sheets; to find they it wasn't her usual purple cotton bed sheets. This layer of fabric was softer than hers, probably made of linen, nylon or even silk. Though she enjoyed the touch between her fingers, she actually jumped up in fear.

Her heart beating twice as fast as any human being can pump their blood. She breathed heavily as she grew nervous in this unfamiliar place. She frantically looked around the room to stop at the mirror that was at a corner of the room. She hesitantly got out of the warmth of the bed and walked toward the mirror. She saw that her reflection was different. Her thighs wore red shorts with white stripes on the sides, a white spaghetti strap tee hugged her waist and her bare feet felt the soft carpet between her toes.

," 'Morning." Turning around to see a smirk upon the last human being she wanted to see. His smirk only widen at her shocked face. His sapphire orbs glinted through his ebony unkempt hair, "Not really a morning person, are you?"

,"Where am I? How did I get here? Why am I here? Answer my damn questions?!" He held in his laughter at her interrogation that displayed her anger and irritation.

He walked into his room but stopped at an arm's length in front of the startled female, "Let me answer that in the following order. My apartment. I carried you. And what was the last one...oh yeah! I saved you."

_'Saved me?_' Events that occurred last night came to her almost as immediately as he answered her questions, "Excuse me! You saved me?!"

,"I'm starting to regret it." He whispered under his breath but was clearly loud enough for her to hear, "Yes I saved you. Three jackasses tried to rape you and I happened to be passing by to save you. Once you collapsed I carried you to my place, called my sister to change you out of your wet clothes and heal your wounds, and I let you sleep in my bed."

Though she didn't want to, she had to give him a **'thank you'**. No matter how arrogant he was or how idiotic he was she had to thank him or else her conscience will come and backstab her. She opened her mouth to say something but was cut off.

,"I expect a saying of gratitude."

He glanced at her from the corner from his eye. He noticed when she was enraged her cheeks were tinted with red, her lips as red and odd as roses blooming in the middle of a blizzard, and her eyes engulfed in great distaste for anyone who dared to get on her bad side.

,"Your clothes are in the dryer. Once you're done with breakfast I'll escort you home." He left the room with a stoic look.

,"WHAT?!"

--

**How stubborn can a girl be?** She was seated on the passenger seat staring out her window and stayed silent as she entered the automobile. His small talk only received silence between the two bandleaders. He finally was irritated by her haughty attitude, pulling her wrist, making her look at him, which wasn't much of a choice since he pulled her with some force.

,"What do you want with me?!" Her eyes ignited a forest fire as she glared at her opposing bandleader. She repeated with great aversion, "What in damn hell do you want with me?!"

He couldn't bring out his answer. He released her wrist and turned on the ignition of his mustang and started to drive a couple streets before asking, "Where do you live?"

His only response was her sigh that escaped her lips. As he stopped at a red light he secretly glanced at his passenger who rubbed her right shoulder gently. He couldn't tell himself on how she could have gotten so much bruises from three men, but then again maybe his sister's assumption was right...

--(Flashback)--

He sat on the couch waiting for his sister to come out of his room to tell her diagnosis of her patient. He grew irritated as the clock that hung on the wall 'tick-tock'-ed with great annoyance to any human being with immense impatience.

His bedroom door opened and out came his sister. Her red hair swaying side to side as she walked toward her little brother. Her light blue eyes showed great exhaustion and relief, as her body gently slouched on a comfortable armchair.

,"So..."

She took a breath before speaking, "It's nothing too serious. She's alright but she needs to rest now. I cleaned off the blood, and her black eye has swollen down." She stopped as she looked at her brother very seriously, "But she has too many bruises- mainly on her back and shoulders. Much more bruises that two men can't do."

,"What do you mean?"

She wore a serious look on her face, which was quite odd since her face was naturally serene, "I mean her bruises are ten times worst compared to the cut and black eye. How long was she almost beaten to death by those guys?"

,"Not long just...fifteen minutes at least. But they actually spent more time trying to undress her than hitting her- they actually rarely hit her. Those bastards wanted to get in her pants than to actually traumatize her."

,"Danny!" His sister angrily scolded him at his dirty mouth, "Do you kiss mom with that dirty mouth?!"

He pointed out the obvious, "I only have one pair of lips." He began to panic as his sister rose from her seat and rolled her eyes, "Wait! What should I do then?"

,"Let her sleep, and once she wakes up, try to get some information on her. Mainly her childhood life or past relationships, or something else." She placed her hand on the doorknob but wasn't able to turn it as she felt a masculine hand on her shoulder. Turning her head over her shoulder, her reddish-yellow locks swayed, as she looked at her brother's dark orbs that showed confusion and…concern? _'Did he actually care for this stranger's well being?'_

,"What do you mean?" He repeated to his favorite saying that would come naturally to his own tongue.

Glancing at her brother before she turned her entire attention to the city lights that was visible by his sliding glass window that lead to his personal balcony, "Danny, **many people** aren't lucky to have a good childhood or happy family life like us. This girl might be **one** of those many people. She might have parents who never gave her attention, or someone was abusing her-which might conclude those bruises...Just keep an eye on her."

She walked out of his apartment, closing the door gently behind her...

--(Flashback End)--

,"So, where do you live?" He repeated, only to get another silent answer from the dark girl in the passenger seat. He parked the car in front of a semi-deserted coffee shop. He turned the key to kill the rumbling engine. He glanced at his passenger, who had now looked at him with her purple pupils, "Are you going to tell me where you live? or am I going to be driving all over town?

At this statement, she unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the car door, and slamming it very hard as she walked onto the sidewalk. He quickly unbuckled his seatbelt, and got out the car, and automatically caught up to her. Two rough hands had a hold on her arms, as they forced her to look into the dark blue eyes of her opponent.

,"What is wrong with you?!" His eyes held anger but great concern for the girl in front of him. It confused him, on how much he **'hated'** this girl but yet feel **'concern'** for her. ,"Who gave you those bruises?! I doubt those lewd bastards would hurt you so much that you nearly died! Who hurt you?!"

,"That's none of your concern!" A voice spoke behind him as he saw a boy about a year older than him stare at him rather disgustingly. He was about the same height as himself, except he had dark brown hair was messier than the streets in the barrio or ghetto, his emerald eyes glowed with mystery behind his bangs as they looked at Danny in a vicious way.

'_Why is __**he**__ here? Haven't I been running long enough to keep __**him**__ away? I thought I was never suppose to see __**his face**__ ever again!'_ Sam's eyes widen, as she took a baby step back, but soon placed a composed look on her face as the boy glanced at her behind the other's shoulder.

,"Who in damn hell are you?" His hostility grew as the boy continued to stare at the girl behind him. He seemed to know that she felt rather uncomfortable with this guy jumping into their 'conversation'.

,"Name's Johnson. Nicholas Johnson." He felt a sudden cringe come from the female bandleader behind him, as the boy spoke his name.

--

,"Wait! Nick was there! Why didn't you tell me?! I could have kicked his big, fat-" She stopped, as the five-year-old was in ears range, "-booty!"

Raven angrily glared at her cousin's attempt to cuss in front of her daughter. She didn't want her- so sweet, and innocent to have such a dirty mouth as her or her cousin, "Helena, honey, can you go into your room and finish coloring your picture."

,"Okay, Mama!" The little girl happily took the box of crayons in one hand and a coloring book in the other hand as she skipped in the direction of her bedroom. The door gently shut to the young child's room.

,"What were you thinking, Sam?!" Raven frantically examined her friend as Valerie slammed a fist on the table, which startled everyone except for the violet-eyed bandleader, "You go to work early, you almost get raped walking home after your overtime, saved by our opposing band, and meeting Nick- of all people why must God punish you?!

,"Just let it go Ray!" Sam finally spoke as she pulled herself off the kitchen chair, and walked towards to refrigerator. She needed something to calm her nerves from this horrible dramatic script that the writer known as God, calls life. The refrigerator door closed, once she grabbed a Trix yogurt, and walked towards a door, opening it, "I'll see you guys later." Shutting the door behind her, she walked past two apartment doors before opening her own apartment room.

Still eating the yogurt at a snail's pace, she walked toward her balcony and looked out toward the city full of tall buildings, whose glass windows reflected the light of the sun in various directions. She had never felt so emotionless. So **hollow**. So...confused!

Her old boyfriend since middle school up into her sophomore year in high school ran into her on the streets! Crossing not only her path but her opponent's as well, and she was just a couple blocks away from her apartment complex. She had broken up with **him** for personal reasons. Though Ray always warned her not to even consider letting **him** be her boyfriend- she got caught in the net of **his **lies and false assets that she fell for. She later broke up with **him** when she discovered **him** in bed with another girl and checked out of school into another school out of state. She never told Ray, anyone else or even herself for that matter, the real reason she broke up with **him**.

A soft breeze pushed her dark locks to the west, as her black ocean of hair gently moved along with the free wind, a bruise that was left unhealed was visible on her right shoulder blade. _'Nick?'_ She thought of her former boyfriend as she replayed a brief memory of their entire relationship. _'Such painful memories.'_ And she didn't mean her heart...

--

SORRY! I HAVEN'T UPDATED SOONER BUT I BLAME FINAL GRADES!! BUT ON THE PLUS SIDE - MY GRADES ARE GOOD! I HAVE A 4.0 AND I'M ON HONOR ROLL (Applause and gently blushes)

Sorry to bug you guys again but I still need help starting my next chapters of 'Mustang Riding During Midnight', 'Dragon Riders', and 'STICK IT!! PHANTOM STYLE' I'M OPEN TO ALL IDEAS AND DELETIONS OF ANY STORIES!!

ALSO POLLS ARE OPEN ON MY BIO!! THANK U!!

REVIEW PLEASE! I'M SERIOUSLY DESPERATE!


	9. Chapter 9: Hate and Confusion

UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T OWN THE SONGS ON MY FANFIC OR DANNY PHANTOM!! Sorry, that I haven't updated but I've had a lot of trouble starting and ending this chapter!

_Italic- thoughts_

_Italic& Underlined- Sam's lyrics_

**Bold- Danny's lyrics**

Underlined- Tucker's lyrics

* * *

A pair of dark azure eyes stared at the glass window that showed a girl having chestnut hair that was her own brown silk and milk chocolate eyes that shined every time she laughed. She sat opposing another girl, as both girls made a Lego castle, nimbly and precisely just like architectures. His eyes continued to stay on the little girl who was under his sister's care. He was startled as she diverted her Hershey™ eyes to him, but loosened as she smiled and gently waved to him. What should he do? Would he tell his sister? He was completely confused but his body acted on its own as he smiled and waved back to her.

,"What are you doing here?" A confused and shocked voice spoke. He turned around to see the source of the voice to be his friend and band member, Tucker, "Ray-man, what're doing, here, in front of a foster care center?"

,"Just...nothing." He quickly glanced over his shoulder to see Helena continue to make her Lego castle. He looked at Tucker now, as the African-American raised an eyebrow in great suspicion. He covered his actual actions by taking a quick look at the 'Help Wanted' sign in front of the foster care entrance, "I actually came here to get a job!"

,"A job?" His forehead scrunched, "You never worked a day in your life! And I never knew you like kids?" He began to be skeptical at the solitude band member, who always locked himself up in the recording studio for days without food- which was a miracle considering his large appetite.

,"Yeah." He quickly thought of an explanation, while pausing momentarily when trying to make it sound convincing, "You know how…I'm not very organized and I'm some-what…of a hermit I am, I decided to get a job…to get rid these bad qualities." His sheepish smile convinced Tucker that he was either very nervous of being open to anyone or that he was really bad at lying to him.

,"Alriight. Then I'll just get an application with you." Tucker secretly smirked, as his friend looked at him like he was delusional or was dressed like one ugly woman- either confused or disturbed.

His jaw line seemed to fall to the sidewalk, as gravity pushed it down in amazement, "Are you serious?"

Before he could answer, a woman exited out the foster care center holding a little girl's hand. He recognized her as he identifies Raymond- dark blue eyes, midnight hair, and white marble skin. _That was Ray's sister! She looks like her brother, but looks more feminine! And she's way better looking!_

,"Raven…" Her head jerked up at the sound of her name, only to glare angrily into her own blue was no mood to even think of her brother, after all that she's been through- she didn't want to be breathing the same oxygen as him. She gently gripped Helena's tiny hand as she walked to her beaten-up, old black compact car.

The sound of echoing footsteps made her turn her head around at the two boys that were following her.

The hostility in her voice slightly frightened both boys, "What do you guys want?! I'm going to be late for my second job."

,"**I** just want to talk." He emphasized on the I. He wanted to talk to his sister, just him and her, almost like when they were little. They were twins- they were suppose to be together, and the fact that she wants to be apart from him- makes him want to close the gap between each other.

He watched as his sister open the dented back door of her car and place her daughter in her car seat and buckle her seatbelt with quick hands. She gently shut the door and put her keys in her front pocket as she turned to both boys, "What do you wanna talk about?"

,"I just want to talk in a normal conversation, not a strained one." He could tell his sister was being agitated by how her fingernails rhythmically tapped against her car key, "A normal brother-sister conversation, with no screaming or cussing- like when we were kids."

,"You mean before you left without telling me you were leaving to Europe, or before you lied to me when you were actually on the plane leaving me?" She clung to her coat as the fall wind picked up slightly, "I'm going to late for work. I don't have enough time to hear your lies."

,"You're messed up!" She turned her head to glance at the owner of the voice, "All he's trying to do is say sorry, and you still won't let him. You are one cruel woman."

She turned her body to the African-American and took a couple steps until she was a few inches away from his jade eyes, "You know what's messed up? It's when someone so close to you stabs you in the back when they say they're going to protect you. They end up being the one to hurt you that you're unable to heal the wound they made." She took a few 'click-clock' steps away from him before she walked to the driver's door, "But what's even more cruel is living a great life not even contacting your family when your mother passed away, your father developing cancer, and your sister support not only herself but her father's medical bills and her daughter's education."

Once she entered the car, buckled her seatbelt, placed the key in the ignition, and droved off. The sight of brown hair and eyes whizzed by them.

,"She's so stubborn!" He angrily hit the closest thing to him, which happen to be a parking meter.

,"Hell, she is!" Tucker glanced at his friend and smirked, "But she's still too hot to be your sister!"

,"I don't know how to react to that comment." His disappointed look changed into a sour one, as he looked over his shoulder to see his friend looking back at him, "Either angered or grossed out?"

,"Grossed out?"

,"She's my little sister, you bastard! What guy takes pleasure in actually anticipating his best friend and little sister making out in front of him?!" Anger slightly rose as Tucker chuckled.

,"That's the Ray-man, I've been waiting to see!"

* * *

Fingers strum the strings of the piano as he open his eyes once in a while to read the music notes on the sheet in front of him. Just erase her from my thoughts…Just make her disappear! The image of the dark-haired, purple-eyed girl made him accidentally hit a wrong note. He opened his eyes and sighed as he removed his hands off the keys of the piano.

,"Danny?" He didn't bother to turn his head around; his eyes were completely focused on his hands, "Danny?" The voice repeated his name like a metronome.

A hand shook his shoulder, and he turned around to see Michael looking down at him, "Danny-man, what're you doing here on the roof?" He blinked a couple of times until he realized that he was seating on the ledge of the roof with his legs dangling like a rag doll. The sight of the sun setting behind the tallest building in the downtown area brought him back to Amity Park.

,"I was just thinking." He straightened his posture, as he rose from where he sat and walked beside Michael who was confused by Danny's answer.

He stuffed his hands in his jacket's pockets, "Thinking? Without a drink?" He was speechless as his bandleader shook his head. Usually he saw his leader with a bottle of beer or any alcoholic beverage in his hand almost everywhere he went. What could have Danny stop drinking so quick in two days, that it took him years to stop him from smoking?

His eyes were downcast on his sneakers. He could feel how tense she was once that guy- Nicholas; he could sense the fear that she was trying so hard not to show. He knew her legs were trembling while struggling to keep a strong stance; he knew her face showed more emotions even when she held a composed visage, and he knew she was afraid but did nothing. He was actually feeling Guilty. He never regretted any decision he made, but could this selfish bandleader have consideration to one of his enemies?

,"Danny?" The voice interrupted his thoughts again. Michael was still standing there.

,"Let's finish that new song." He walked past the guitarist, but halted halfway once he noticed Michael wasn't following him, "What's wrong?"

,"Ray-man, and Tucker aren't here. How are we suppose to finish the song if our bassist and keyboardist aren't here?"

He continued to walk and slowly trek down the endless stairs down to his floor. Right now, his primary concern was to exclude her from his thoughts and keep his mind set on winning that record deal. He shouldn't worry about his opponent's problems- they were none of his business- so why is it that he's struggling not to think of those bruises on her back?

* * *

She walked daintily on this oddly quiet evening. She hadn't heard sirens of either police cars or ambulance trucks, nor did she see anyone honking angrily- just a pleasant Friday evening. The city lights even dimmed dramatically, for this is the first time she has seen a night full of glittering stars that gave a sweet essence of nature's true beauty.

The street she was walking on was practically deserted with only a few cars passing the traffic light. This was actually a good day. She was on time for both her jobs. There were no angry or annoying customers at either of her jobs. But what surprised her the most, was that she actually finished writing the lyrics to a new song; it actually ringed in her mind during her time at both her jobs.

The empty street encouraged her to twirl and dance without the thought of making a fool of herself, since there was no one to mock her as she mentally sang her newly completed lyrics. _Turn around there's those eyes again. Turn around fake indifference and I. Watch their cold, dark silhouettes disappear. A hundred bodies fill this room. And all their faces overdone. Pain is foreign, foreign to us._

She continued to walk down the street coming closer to her apartment building, and in immense pride began singing the chorus as she walking past an orange-lit lamp post, "I don't even know you. You won't even know I'm gone. Was it something I did wrong? Roses, roses cold. Roses, roses sold out." She dramatically held a high note, entering the building complex, and walked up the stairs until she stopped in front of a door with a painted smiley face plastered on below the peephole.

Grabbing her keys, she unlocked the door and threw her coat on the couch and switched the light on. The kitchen light was on and as she stepped toward the tile-floor room, she saw Angela sitting on one of the chairs; her hair beautiful hair was slightly disheveled as her elbows were propped on the kitchen table; her forehead leaned against her knuckles.

,"Ang', what're you doing here?" The Aztec descendant jerked her head up and turned to her bandleader. Her lovely dark eyes were tinted in a soft pink as her tan complexion.

,"Oh, I didn't hear you come in, Sam." Her hand quickly went to her face as another drop of liquid dared to fall. She stayed seated; seeing Sam walking toward her, and taking the seat beside her as the drummer straightened herself in her wooden seat.

,"Angie, why…?" The violet-eyed girl couldn't bear to finish her sentence, fearing that her companion will sob hysterically and spill gallons of tears to flood the title floor.

A gentle sigh exited her parted lips as her wet orbs dried, "They accepted us to their contest, which means we'll be living in house with our opponents. But only band members are allowed to live under that roof. Do you know what that means, Sam?"

Her ebony hair shook; not comprehending the outcome of what Angela was trying to get her to understand, "I don't know, Angie."

Her sable eyes were now edging to break in millions of pieces. She held her stance as her orbs were making a huge effort in making her have rivers of bitter tears curve down her beige visage.

* * *

,"Alright...let's do this one more time," He heaved a breath as he quickly wiped his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand, and placed it back on the fingerboard of his guitar.

,"C'mon! We've been at this for hours, Danny-man!" Raymond complained as he defeated sat on the living room floor, with his legs crossed and his guitar beside him on a stand.

,"Yeah, Dan!" Michael held his drum sticks weakly; his hands were sore as his arms- it hurt to even think of moving his hands to the nearest drum, "Let's just call it a night! I think I'm gonna die!"

Tucker tried to hold up his entire body but it slumped on his keyboard playing a few keys that startled the entire band. Three boys glared at him as he smiled sheepishly with his head slightly tilted upwards, "Sorry! But seriously Danny, we got to end practice! It's.." He took a small pause as he glanced at the clock against the wall to see the long small hand on the eleven and the big hand on the ten, "…It's eleven fifty…and we've been at this since seven thirty."

,"Fine! One more song, then practice is over!" His head had been irritated by all the annoyed voices that was in the air of him, " We'll do 'Thanks For The Memories', then we'll knock out, How's that?"

A few mumbles of agreements were echoed in the room, but Tucker rose his eyebrows in confusion to his friend's actions; he never played new song unless prior of a week or so of the actual date he made the song. Everyone stood up as they were in position to play the final practice song.

,"Put in the CD, Ray-man." Raymond placed the disc on the CD boom box as he pressed play which the speakers exerted Raymond's composed orchestral part of his bandleader's song.

Danny sang along to the lyrics in his mind as Tucker echoed, **"I'm gonna make you bend and break. Say your prayers, but let the good times roll. In case god doesn't show **(let the good times roll, let the good times roll). **And I want these words to make things right. But it's the wrong that makes these words come to life. Who does he think he is** (if that's the worst you got you better put your fingers back to the keys)**?**

The entire band's music reverberated throughout the entire living room, causing the items on the table and even some of the furniture to shake by the intense music waves.

**,"One night and one more time. Thanks for the memories even though. They weren't so great. He tastes like you only sweeter"** He quickly inhaled oxygen into his lungs**,"…One night yeah and one more time. Thanks for the memories. Thanks for the memories. See he tastes like you only sweeter. Ooooooooh.'**

A small pause made Raymond do a small guitar solo, "**And looking forward to the future. But my eyesight is going bad. And these crystal balls. It's always cloudy except for** (except for). **When you look through the past** (look into the past). **One night stand** (one night stand, oh!)."

,"**One night and one more time. Thanks for the memories even though. They weren't so great. He tastes like you only sweeter. One night yeah one more time. Thanks for the memories. Thanks for the memories. See he tastes like you only sweeter."**

The song lowered to Danny's guitar and the recorded acoustic on the CD, **"They say I only think in the form of. Crunching numbers in hotel rooms. Collecting paychecks lovers. Get me outta my mind. Gets you out of those clothes. I learned my way of getting you. Into the mood **(wa-ooooohhh)."

The beat of the song rose once again**, "One night and one more time. Thanks for the memories even though. They weren't so great. He tastes like you only sweeter. One night and one more time. Thanks for the memories. Thanks for the memories. See he tastes like you only sweeter…Repeat…" **The guitar in Danny's hand dramatically lingered on a note.

,"Okay, practice is over!" He turned over to see the thankful faces of his band members.

Raymond dragged his legs out of the apartment building while supporting his guitar with one hand. As he opened the door and was beginning his journey next door to his apartment, he tiredly said, "Good night, guys!" and closed the door.

The drummer on he other hand began falling asleep on his drum, with some saliva spilling on the clear tom-tom. His grey eyes were drooping until a sudden sound from the crash cymbal near his ear awoken him and glared at the smirking Tucker, "Funny, Tuck! Remind me to kill you in the morning! " He rose from his stool and walked across from the living room and waved farewell with his drumsticks in his hand as he opened the door, "See you in the morning!" He closed the door as he walked to his apartment.

,"Aren't you gonna go to your apartment?" The blue-eyed leader glanced at the keyboardist as he proceeded to put the equipment in a corner of the living room.

,"Nah! I'm lazy, not tired!" He spoke happily as though he had awakened from a good night's sleep. He moved the drum set with care, as he saw how his bandleader shut off the boom box and placing the cymbals besides the drums.

,"What're you so cheerful for?" Danny eyed his best friend as he unplugged the amps, " The people at the 'Eat-All-The-Meat" Buffet finally let you within a fifty feet radius."

,"I wish! I mean I did sign that restraining order." Tucker disappointedly recalled being band from that particular restaurant for 'reasons' not wanting to be repeated, which is why he now continues to go to Bob's Place, "I'm just looking forward to moving into the house for the competition."

Danny shrugged his shoulders; not really caring for moving into that house but was actually focused on winning the main prize which consisted of the record deal and cash reward. He intends to aim for what target and hit it in the bull's eye; his thoughts were interrupted as the sight of violet eyes appeared in his mind. _Her! _Just the sudden though of her made him angry and merciful, one or the other- even both! He was supposed to despise this girl with a potty mouth, just like her guitarist that hated Raymond to the bone. _Just like she hates Raymond, I'm suppose to hate that girl- Sam or whatever she's called. But now that I think about it that girl-Raven or Ray- I know she doesn't really hate her brother. If I'm right, they're twins, they could never hate each other that much- they had a 'bond' or some kind of 'connection', right? _He didn't have a 'connection' with his girl, hell as quick as she can talk shit to him, shouldn't be called 'girl'.

As Tucker sat on the couch, he saw how his best friend was deep in though, "Hey, Danny! You can stop dreaming about your diner girl!" He chuckled as Danny sent a death glare at him, which meant he heard the remark.

,"Shut up, Tucker! And get to your place before I commit homicide in my own apartment!" Tucker ran to the doorknob, waving goodbye to his best friend, "Hey, my threat doesn't mean you'll be excused from practice in the morning."

,"Fine! 'Night, Danny-man!" He waltzed right out of his friend's apartment.

* * *

PLEAZE REVIEW!!

Thnks Fr Th Mmrs by Fall Out Boy

Roses by Meg and Dia


	10. Chapter 10: Him and Her

UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T OWN THE SONGS ON MY FANFIC OR DANNY PHANTOM!! P.S. I DON'T OWN MCDONALD'S, EITHER!!

'_Italic'- thoughts_

_Italic – flashbacks!_

* * *

,"OVER MY DEAD BODY!!" A female voice bellowed through the small courtroom creating a booming echo as everyone tried to ease their fast beating hearts by the petit woman. She was clearly angry as her arms were parallel, her hands were gripped to the table as her nails were cracking the wooden surface, her body slanted as though she was a lioness ready to pounce on a zebra, and her face literally screamed of ardent detestation like a wild fire towards the man who was cowering behind another man with spectacles on his nose and a brief case on his table.

,"Miss Shadows…" The judge spoke calmly to the teenage mother, wearing a scarlet woman's suit, whose own face was blending with her uniform like a chameleon, "Please sit back down."

,"I'm not handing over my daughter to THAT MAN!" Her dark hair shook in disagreement to the judge who suggested that she leaved her daughter under the care of her biological father, who had been released from jail on good behavior. _'Good behavior, my ass!!'_

The man in spectacles rose from his seat, "I assure you, Miss Shadows, that my client, Emanuel Suarez, will do no such harm to his daughter.

,"MY daughter." She darkly spoke through her gritted teeth, "And he shouldn't even be caring for Helena—he has been stripped of his parenting rights!" She looked at the judge, "Your Honor, please consider what he has done to my child."

,"She's my daughter!" The man rose from his own seat, wrinkling is dark blue suit into many other rows of creases. His brown hair was similar to his daughter but was greased with large amounts of gel; his eyes were actually green contrast to his little girl's caramel eyes, and his bronze skin shown in the light of the courtroom.

,"Biologically, yes." She took a step forward as the heel of the high heel sounded like a bullet coming out of a rifle, in the silent room, "But lawfully, Helena is my daughter!"

"Order! Order!" The banging of the gavel interrupted the argument as Mister Suarez was about to attack the teen, "Bailiff, hold down Mister Suarez before he commits a homicide in my courtroom." The bailiff pushed the man, whose green eyes glared at the college student like antique handcrafted jaded daggers found in Central America.

,"Ray, sit down…" A gentle hand pushed her shoulder down, making her lower back in her seat. His strawberry blond hair was untamable, and his hazel eyes were trying to ease the girl's rising anger to the man.

,"My client has been released a year early from jail on good behavior, and has completed his exercises the prison psychologist assigned him." His spectacles were pushed up by his index finger, "I am willing to give you letters from the prison psychologist, the prison warden and even fellow inmates, who will be willing to testify for Mister Suarez, that he is a changed man."

,"But as you can see, Judge Stuarts, that Mister Suarez was about to lash out at my client, clearly meaning that he has unresolved anger issues that needs treatment." '_Thank you, Jake!'_ He stood very still like a statue, awaiting the judge's answer.

The man narrowed his eyes on the female's lawyer, "Don't be a brown nose, Reynolds! You just want to protect Miss Shadows to go out for ice cream! You even witness your client provoking my client's anger!"

,"That's because he has no control of his anger!" The man- Reynolds- stood victoriously as the lawyer didn't even dare to open his mouth, "My client on the other hand, is in complete control of her emotions. She also is concerned for her daughter since her biological father traumatized her to the point where she wouldn't speak to anyone."

,"Very well," The judge glanced back and forth between the defendant and plaintiff, "I find in favor of Miss Raven Shadows in custody of Helena Shadows during her time at a contest." The bang of the gavel was a stamp of triumph to the band member's ears.

,"W-wait! What?!" The man rose from his seat and looked at Judge Stuarts in utter disbelief, "Who's going to take care of Helena while that woman is away in her contest?!"

,"Miss Shadows has a brother not far away from here, who will be more than willing to accept Helena with open arms during the time that she's in this contest." The judge rose from her seat, as her blonde hair pulled down as she collect the pieces of paper scattered across her table and placed them in a file. She looked up to see the angered face of a defeated Emanuel Suarez.

,"She can't take her daughter to her brother's place. They aren't on good terms with each other." The lawyer saved his client from exploding like a bomb.

,"How do you know of Miss Shadows personal life?" The blonde lawyer defended as he glared at the faces of his opponent in this case and courtroom, "It really doesn't concern of them, but Miss Shadows is a set of quintuplets, so one of her other brothers- who she doesn't have a strain relationship- will be happy to take care of Helena."

,"I've already made my decision final, Mister Suarez, Mister Wilmington." She walked away with her black eyes not even darting to the men, who were humiliated and gawking in astonishment.

* * *

,"Where the hell is he?" His fingers scrunched into his palm creating an angered fist from his thinning patience, " He left a long time ago, and now he's taking a hell of a good damn time coming back! That stupid ass bastard!"

Tucker looked at his best friend as he was about to be engulfed in the impatient rage that makes him…well…Danny!, "Haven't you ever heard of breathing? Take slow breaths and relax!"

The apartment door flew open, "My brothers from another mother! I am back!" Michael came in with McDonald bags in his arms, as well as in the arms of Raymond who was battling against the evil dragons of the children on the floor below.

,"Where's my Big Mac?" He sat on the couch, as his band drummer threw the square box toward him. He quickly caught it as he was stuffing his face with the God given Big Mac.

Tucker grabbed his special order of two greasy cheese burgers, and noticed that the pale skin guitarist wasn't in the room, "Hey, where's Ray-man, Mike?"

,"Back! Back! You beasts!" Raymond struggled to walk towards the safety of Danny's apartment. He tried to break free from the little boys that were fighting to get the burgers, fries, and chicken nuggets within a white bag._ 'How pitiful! Running away from a three-foot serpent!'_, "Guys! Help!"

Danny poked his head out in the hallway, to see Raymond struggling with a boy on top of his ebony hair hitting him with a plastic helium filled hammer that squeaked every time it made contact to his temple, another boy had an iron grip on his right ankle as he dragged him across the carpeted hallway, and other boy was on his back like a little chimpanzee except it's tiny fingers were reaching for the bleached color bag with the cliché 'I'm lovin' it' motto.

He walked slowly to his friend and grabbed the bag, resulting in making Raymond to fall on the floor with relief, as the unharmed children stepped over his jacket and stood in front of his bandleader with wide eyes on the bag.

,"Alright boys, that's enough goofing around with Ray!" He held the bag high above his head as the three little boys began jumping to grab the bag that exerted a warm scent, "Let's make a deal?"

All three boys stopped jumping and stood looking up at the man, " Deal?" They spoke in unison.

,"Yeah, a deal!" Danny smiled at the little boys, "You don't kill Ray or my other friends when we come back to get a bag to eat, and in return we'll buy you guys each a burger, fries, and a small cup of juice."

The three boys looked at one another, and huddled up together; if they had worn jerseys, they could be in the NFL for kids. They looked back in his blue eyes and nodded, "Okay!"

,"We have a deal now boys!" He lowered the bag, and secretly smirked as he still found himself standing, instead of on the floor like Raymond, "But since you guys cooperated…" He paused as his hand dove into the bag and took out a large wrapped burger, and king size fries and handed them to the boys.

Their smiles reached ear to ear, as they looked at the burger and fries like they were treasures from the dark depths of the ocean," Thanks, man!"

* * *

Her brown hair gently swayed as she danced and sang to the music of her 'Aunt' Angie's iPod, but stopped as she noticed a couple of eyes on her. Turning her head, she opened her eyes, to see her 'Auntie' Angie and 'Aunty' Sam. She gently pulled the ear buds out of her ears and glanced at her Aunts.

,"Hey there, sweetie! What're you doing?" Sam walked into the small girl's room that showed how much she loved to sing by the posters of famous artists on the corners of her bedroom walls. She lowered herself to her 'niece's' height.

,"Just dancing." She set her small body on a chair and her 'Aunt's' iPod on her lap with care.

,"Really?" A small nod came from the five-year-old, "But we heard you singing? We're you singing, sweetie?" Her violet eyes looked into the little hazel orbs, and shook up and down, "How come you didn't want to tell us you were singing and dancing?"

,"Because…some girl in my school told me not to ever sing." She lowered her brown eyes and quickly responded before Sam could ask anything else, "She said I sing very ugly."

Angie walked over to the little girl and drew her into a sweet hug, "She's just jealous because you have a gift that she wants. She wants to have your beautiful voice that even angels want to steal your lovely melody." She felt her shirt lightly soaked by a little brown-haired girl. She pushed Helena out of their hug and quickly moved her hand to the little girls cheeks to wipe away any other tears.

,"We wanna hear you sing, Helena." She turned to her Aunt as she held a piece of paper in her hands. Her violet eyes stared at the little girl in front of her and thought of all the things she's been through, but she thought that the two most horrid things happened to this small female: a silenced voice and a lack of self-esteem. Her pretty Helena concealed a big voice that was more mesmerizing than Christina Aguilera's and higher than Mariah Carey's whistling note. She concealed a gift; frozen it shut by her ruby lips until she was barely turning five. Her mind rewind the movie she has never got tired of watching…like it just occurred yesterday.

_--(Flashback)--_

_Walking down the dark hallway, she saw the light coming from the kitchen. Her bare feet clapped every step she took from the wooden floorboards as her brown eyes curiously looked in the corner, to see that woman sitting on the couch, reading a large album. She jumped as the woman's odd blue eyes connected with her tree-like ones._

_,"Oh, hey there, Helena!" A small smile formed on her lips as she looked at the timid little girl as her fist gently grasp the teddy bear that she held in her arms, "Can't sleep, either, huh? You can sit right here and look at some pictures with me, if you want?" She saw as the little fawn took small steps towards her until she stood in front of this tall woman. Placing her slender hand on the padded cushions on the couch, signaling the girl to sit beside her, and smiled as the girl did._

_She never heard music come out of her heavenly lips. She always wanted to hear her voice, and open her up like a fully bloomed rose she was. A rose bud that was preserving herself by invisible thorns, which she wanted to fall on their own without prickling her tiny fingers. She looked at her lowered hazel eyes that were particularly interested on the white carpet beneath the living room table._

_A few minutes passed as the clock on in the kitchen 'tick-tocked' causing the tension between both the newly graduate and newly five-year-old. The sound of a hand flipping the page of an album caused a pair of chocolate eyes to dart at the next page of the woman's album. A picture of a woman who ghostly looked similar to the black-haired woman sitting beside her._

_,"That's my Mom." The happy voice startled her, and looked up at the owner of it. 'Mom' was foreign to her tongue; never had she heard such a word said with immense meaning. She saw her warm sky-like eyes moisten with the thought of this 'Mom', "She left a long time ago, but it still hurts."_

_This 'Mom' who left this woman must be special to this woman who was resisting on spilling any tears. She continued to smile at the 'Mom' in the picture. She was posed with the sun behind her dark locks, like a halo and her smile outshined the sun as her eyes danced along with the fallen leaves. This burning feeling in her heart started to ignite; it always occurred when she was around the four women and constantly she fought the urge of her arms that wanted to grasp these cheerful females._

_A hand stroked the brunette as she flinched at the sudden contact. But the gentle motions made her wish this hand would tenderly hold her for eternity; hold her the way she was never held before. Her chocolate eyes saw the affectionate within the deep blue eyes of the woman stroking her hair with care, "I know you'd miss your Mom, if you met her and she suddenly left, like mine. But I think it's worse if you never met your Mom, because you're left unanswered by how much she wanted to look after you and love you more than the world's treasures are worth."_

_She understood how she felt! The tiny hands gripped her neck, fighting the fuzziness of her vision caused by the liquid developing in her brown eyes. The woman was taken aback by the girl's sudden change of personality; first, she's timid and winced at the sudden physical contact, and now she's open and hugging her foster mother with as much force as she can make. Pale hands patted the girl's nightgown and hushed the tears that dampen her oversize t-shirt. Her eyes shut as the tiny grip of her neck loosened._

_Oxygen was inhaled, and exerted on her exposed collar, "Ma…" Another breath was drawn and blown out, "…ma…" Her eyes widen at the voice that had rung in her ear and echoed, like a gong being struck. 'Her voice…It's beautiful!'_

_--(End Flashback)--_

Wiping the last tear to slip down her cheek, she smiled as she was happily crushed in the bear hug of her 'Aunties'. Releasing each other from the huddle, Sam lowered to the girl's small height, "Now, go practice your scales. You're Mama is going to be upset if you don't do them today, Okay?"

The little girl nodded, making her hair jump up and down like brown springs. Her tiny heels exited out of her room. The disappearance of the girl's clicking heels made the drummer sigh angrily, "I hate that we have to leave her!"

A hand moved up and down her spinal cord. She gratefully smiled at the leader of the Nightshades. She shot her eyes in utter impotence. She was completely helpless! To everyone! Her family! Her deceased aunt! Her ill uncle! Her willful cousins! And her diligent cousin! Was she really that weak? _'NO! I'm not! I might not've been strong enough to stop my cousin's family to crumble, but I am strong enough to help her and my niece! Just watch me! '_

* * *

Grey eyes stared at the dark-haired twin as he was drawing something in his sketchbook. His pencil moved every millisecond along the page: drawing, erasing, scribbling and re-drawing again. He sighed, breaking the silence, "So, how's Raven?"

CRACK! The pencil broke! He saw the widen eyes of his childhood friend! Clearly, he did not expect Michael to bring up the conversation of his younger sister, "W-Why do you ask?" His word's stumbled.

,"Just because…ever since she almost stampede all over you when we went to the Altern Records to meet with the producers of the 'Battle of the Bands'- I was just wondering." He knew he was hiding something! '_Could it be that he likes…No! He admitted that he didn't like violent girls!'_

,"Wondering?" He raised an eyebrow at his friend in confusion.

,"Yeah." He glanced away from the pair of blue eyes, "I was just wondering who was that girl with Raven."

He covered his drawing as a precaution from any intrusive eyes, "What girl?"

,"The girl with black hair. Dark eyes. Tan skin." His silvery orbs still distanced themselves from his companion.

,"Angela?" He questioned, "That's Raven's and my younger cousin. She's in like…" Pondering over the years they were apart- just one year, "…fifteen or sixteen." His eyes widen at his sudden accusations, and let out a whine along with an angered fist against the kitchen table, "Aww, man! C'mon!"

,"What?" He looked bewildered at the guitar's actions.

,"First, Tucker, and now you-Michael! What is this? 'Hook-Up-With-Raymond's-Family-Week'!" Disappointment showed in his irritated voice and troubled azure orbs. His head picked up, as he looked around the kitchen, from high p the ceilings to the tile floor beneath their sneakers, "Am I on 'Punk'd' or something? This is a joke, right? Right?"

Unfortunately, it wasn't a joke!

,"You never talked about you're family." He pointed out blankly. The blue color in his eyes faded as he lowered his head to the edge of the kitchen table, "What's the issue between you and you're sister, Ray-man?"

,"I left her." His attention was still on the table, but slowly moved to the black and white tiles of the floor as he remembered, "Even after I promised to protect her when she was being picked on. I was given a scholarship to study aboard in Europe. Raven was also given a scholarship, but somehow her name was erased from the list. My family approved of my decision, but I didn't know I would be separated from my sister until it was two weeks before my flight. I spoke with the Head of International Boards, the ones that had given me the scholarship- I asked them 'Why wasn't my sister coming along with me', as they told us so. They all laughed and said 'She is not suitable enough to be in the scholarship- therefore we've given in to another male'." They separated them! Just because she was born a girl and not a boy!

,"So basically, the Board didn't accept your sister?" Michael was intent on learning of Raymond's past. If you've ever had a friend who was always secretive about their family- wouldn't you like to listen and help them?

,"Yeah." He sighed another breath, "So, I went to Europe, leaving my twin behind; I decided to write letters to comfort her, but they never made it. They came back to me with a red 'Return to Sender' stamp on her name. I was supposed to stay in Europe for five or six years, but I manage to graduate in one year! I returned to Amity but went to Amity High school instead of Casper High with Raven…" From the tone of his voice told that he regretted his conclusion to leave his sister and sorrowful for being out of his family's life.

,"My mother died while I was living in this apartment- and I didn't know or attend her funeral; I don't even know where she was buried. My brothers struggling with their small business- but I didn't offer any money they'd work so hard to give me. My father developed cancer- I could have helped but was too busy with my own life to even take in consideration of my family's." He tilted his head higher, looking into the silver eyes, asking- begging for advice.

He didn't know what to say, but…, "Apologize. But not to your sister…your family."

,"Thanks, Mike!" He looked up at his peculiar eyes and messy caramel-colored spikes.

Hopeful eyes looked into the blue seas, "Now, tell me about you're cousin?"

He glared at the drummer, "Don't pull a 'Tucker' on me Mike!"

* * *

,"And where were you?" Valerie looked at her friend as she entered the apartment with her hair in a low ponytail, "Court was over an hour ago."

She untied her ponytail, allowing her dark hair to fall in gentle waves, "I was just catching up with Jake! I haven't seen him in years!" She walked into the kitchen and grabbed a cup from a cupboard.

,"Mm-hmm!" Her eyes darted at the guitarist, "Catching up? Yeah, right! You really like him." She smiled at the confused look in Raven's eyes.

She poured some water into her empty cup and placed the pitcher back in the refrigerator, "What?! That is what we were doing! And I don't like him THAT way! He's more like…another brother..," Her expression turned into a tart one at the thought of having her own S.W.A.T Team to annoy her even further.

Her finger flipped the page of a magazine, continuing to read the article, "Quit lying, Ray! You like him! And he likes you!"

A spray of water exerted from Raven's lips, her eyes were wide like dish plates. She wiped the water that fell to her chin with the sleeve of her red suit, "Excuse me! Jake does NOT like me! He's nineteen! We only have a friendly brother-sister relationship! Besides, he really likes Sam!" She placed her now empty cup in the sink and grabbed a small towel, cleaning up the water due to her surprised state.

Valerie dropped the magazine to the table and walked to Raven, as she was cleaning the wet counter. Her dark hair was to her shoulder, giving her a chance to see her friend's striking blue eyes and pale face that seemed to withstand the sun's strong waves, " Ray...He really does like you." Her voice was sincere.

Her head picked up at the female's comment as she saw into the aqua eyes of the keyboardist, "The way he looks at you is absolutely obvious, Ray." She grabbed the fabric of the red suit and dragged her to the nearest mirror that happened to be near the sink, "Look at yourself." Her blue eyes looked at Valerie's confidant ones, "I said look at yourself, not me!"

Her azure eyes hesitated in looking at her own reflecting, as though she was afraid of being sucked inside the glass. She saw her disheveled wavy hair that hid her ocean eye and her pale complexion was like the moon, Valerie squished her dark skin to Raven's white cheek, "You should give yourself more credit."

,"Val, he doesn't like me. He likes Sam!" She retorted, but Valerie wasn't going to let her friend be fooled by a man's true intentions.

,"Wanna bet?" Once again she lead her friend to her living room and forced her to sit on the couch, "Stay here and don't move!" She commanded as she ran to her apartment, ignoring her friend's plea to return.

She ran across her apartment and went into her room. It was completely organized when she entered the room but in less than three seconds: papers were scattered across her bedspread, boxes of filed work were cluttered against a corner, her work table was filled with opened binders of her notes in her English and Photography classes. Shimming under her bed, she victoriously retrieved an album of her most famous snapshot work. Running out of her room, not caring that once she slammed her door that her desk fell to her carpeted floor.

Valerie was majoring in Photography. She was very good at taking photos and was particularly favored for some of the world's best-known models, actors and singers. But she was mostly taking pictures of nature and ordinary people walking down a busy street everyday. As she was quickly skimming through her album, she was entirely elated by the picture she was hoping to find in this rather thick book. She entered Raven's apartment, shoving the picture right at the seated girl's nose, "Look! Just like I said!"

,"I can look at it on my own, thanks." She pulled the album a few inches away from her face since it was blurry when it was pushed at her nose. She examined the laminated picture of the thick booklet that the Nightshades keyboardist was so eager to show her.

The photo was in vibrant colors. It showed of a smiling Raven standing as tall as the man a few feet away from her. Her eyes were shimmering like they were the sea, reflecting the light off it's blue surface creating it's own beauty; she was preoccupied on the blue lycaenid butterfly perched on her forefinger and thumb that was almost made from the same material of the blue sky above her dark head whipping along with the warm breeze. Jacob was staring at her as she continued to look at the butterfly like an adventurous child filled with curiosity. His reddish-blond hair moved along with the wind and smudged his vision, but his camel eyes were tenderly concentrated on the gleeful Shadow female as the beautiful insect on her appendage captured her childlike personality.

'_I'm going to kill her!'_ She mentally noted to herself as she stared at the picture. She was spying on her when she was hanging out with Jake! It was about two or three years ago; she was either fourteen or fifteen and he was either sixteen or seventeen and both were spending a day at the park before Jacob was leaving for Harvard- he's uncle is the School Director giving him an easy way in the most famous law schools.

She remembered both befriended each other in an art class they shared in which their was a huge paint fight and both were accused of starting it and force to clean the Art Room, in return that they don't get detention or expelled. They were quick friends as he commented on the Art teacher's and Principal's stupidity. He began to open up abut his girlfriend troubles and she shared her hidden talent from the school (minus the Nightshades) in return he didn't tell anyone that she was in a band and she gave him girl advice.

,"I told you!" The prideful voice of a Grey female interrupted her remembrance of the past. She glared at the ecstatic keyboardist, who was basically smirking in victory, thinking she had defeated her, like she penetrated the wall of her actual emotions. She had always wondered why she was so distant with the opposite gender, especially when she was at the diner, but the African-American girl concluded that it was because Kat tried to hook not only her but also Sam and Ray on blind dates on 'suitable bachelors'.

A sigh parted her red lips as she looked at the Nightshades band member, "This picture proves nothing, Val. Except that you're an astounding photographer! Who stalks people! Why were you stalking me and Jake?!"

,"Stalking is such a bad word to use." Her aqua eyes diverted between the dark blue-dyed guitarist to the photo she had taken, "I'd prefer to say keeping an eye on you. He was an older man-they can be pretty sneaky! Plus, I thought you were on a date!"

Her glare deepened into her chocolate skin, "Val!"

Her muscular figure walked towards her friend's curvaceous one. She held her hands up in defense, stopping the angered Mexican, "It was out of the goodness of my heart, Ray! But I'll admit, you got good taste in men!"

She gently punched her, even when she was immensely upset, "But honestly, Ray, he really likes you!"

,"No he doesn't!" She bellowed back to her, "How many times, do I have to tell you? He LIKES Sam, NOT ME!" She sat back on her black nylon couch; plopping down on the ebony cushion dramatically.

Valerie retorted back to her friend, "YES, HE DOES! He's lying to you, Ray! He likes you so much that he won't even admit it to himself!" Bright aqua and dark azure clashed with each other, "Everyone knows that Jacob likes you, Ray! HE was entirely distraught when he had to leave Amity, because he would be leaving you! HE was upset to find out that you had a daughter, because he thought some bastard left you to care for this beautiful baby! HE was awestruck that you were fighting for the protection of a child that wasn't your own! HE was delighted to see you! Face it Ray, Jake likes you!"

,"Why would he be interested in me?" She rose to her feet facing Valerie. She was trying so hard to prove to her that Jacob didn't like her, but soon doubted herself, "I'm a single foster mother whose working two jobs and is just in her first year in college! What makes you think he likes me? What proof do you have that shows that Jacob actually likes me?"

Valerie looked over Raven's shoulder; where they knew was the closed entrance to Raven's apartment. She looked back to the agitated navy eyes of the pale-skinned girl with intense eyes, "Because he told me."

* * *

PLEAZE REVIEW!!

Yeah, I know! Not much of Danny and Sam! It actually revolved around Raven, Raymond, Angela, and Helena with a sprinkle of Michael and Jacob! But still review please! I've been trying hard to update!

Sorry it took so long; but my imagination went wild and ended up with 15 pages! But it's worth it!


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